Relief Society is an organization with many intents and purposes, and one of those is help the sisters in the ward to find fellowship and support. However there are times and individuals who have a difficult time finding the fellowship and support in Relief Society. There may be a variety of reasons for this, but everyone should be working together to help each other feel supported.
One reason that sisters may not feel supported or fellowship is because they feel isolated and left out when they attend Relief Society. I personally have struggled with this in Relief Society. When I was first married, my husband and I moved to a new ward. We attended week after week. No one would sit next to me in Relief Society, and I always arrived early and sat down before the room was full. When people did talk to me they would recommend that I talk to other people instead. I know now that they were trying to help me find friends, but I felt as though it was a rejection. We moved out of the ward a short time later.
You can imagine my dismay when I realized that we would be moving back into the same ward a few years later. I was scared of the feelings of isolation I had experienced before, especially since I was moving from a ward where the members consistently go out of their way to include others. This time I committed myself to talk to someone every week. I have lived in this ward for five years, and there are still Sundays where I feel a little isolated, but at the same time I realize that I am not reaching out that week.
As sisters we need to make sure that we are extending a hand of fellowship to those who are new, and to sisters who may be shy or quiet. A simple hello and a question or two about where they are from can make a big difference in helping people feel welcome. There is one sister in my ward who is everyone’s friend, because she is constantly looking for ways to include everyone and make them feel welcome. I am trying to be more like her as I sit in Relief Society and talk to the new sisters in our ward.
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