My husband and I were watching Elder Ballard’s talk last night titled, “Be Anxiously Engaged“. He spoke mostly of how much better the world would be if we were like the worker bees that worked together and were constantly doing our part to provide service to our fellow man. I totally agree. If we can find those people in need, and serve them, then our lives will be happier, and the world will be a better place.
However, after the talk was over, I turned to my husband and asked him, “Does attending to every need my three small children have count as service?” I couldn’t help but feel after a long day of motherhood, that there really wasn’t another ounce of energy left in me that could have provided service to anyone else. It made me feel a little bit like I wasn’t doing enough, which is why I asked the question.
My husband was quick to respond, “Yes!” which was of course what I wanted to hear, and what instantly made me feel better. But, in his subtle, loving way, he also put things in perspective. He said, “I think that it can only count as the kind of service he is talking about though, when you are happy doing it”.
I thought about that for a long time. It is true that I am not always happy in my daily duties as a Mom. Sometimes I wish I could do things for me, and although I never resent my children, I do recognize (probably too often) that having children means that I have to sacrifice a lot. But, does it make it service still if we do the act with an unhappy heart?
Imagine if Christ would have gone about his ministry thinking, “I can’t wait until people stop asking me for favors”. It seems almost silly to think of Him saying that. It needs to be the same for us as parents. We need to try and be happy to sacrifice, happy to put ourselves second, and happy to be changing all those dirty diapers. It may still be service, but it is not Christlike if we are not happy (as much as humanly possible). It is not the type of service that will lift us up. Or lift up those we are serving.
I love the picture of the Dad giving his daughter a piggy back ride. We carry our children both literally and figuratively throughout their lives. But, do we try and have a happy heart when we can? Do you think parenting is an act of service regardless of your attitude?