What Have I Done for Someone Today?

A few months ago, I was blog hopping before bed and I came across a post by a woman I don't know who started "A kindness a day project" in May of this year.  Here is what she said about it:

"So, this is how it’s going to work. I’m going to do something nice for someone (friend, family, neighbor or complete stranger—doesn’t matter who) every day for a month. It doesn’t need to be something big. It can be as simple as making a conscientious effort to smile at someone, holding the door open for someone or just making one of my kids their favorite dinner one night. We don’t have millions of extra dollars laying around our house, so I’m going to make an effort to not necessarily have money play a big part in this—although it may play a little part."


As I read through her post and also some of the later posts that talked about what she had done each day, I was really inspired by the idea of actively making sure that you do something for someone. If I remember correctly, one of the things she did one day was even as simple as spending a little extra time with a child that wanted her attention.

The past few months have been very emotional and difficult for me for many reasons. I think it is normal to have ups and downs in life - to have times when life is smooth sailing, and times when life is a bit more rocky. But I do think that, in my experience, the best way to help myself see the "light" when I am struggling, is to think of others. In fact, it is the generally the only way.

Tonight I have also been listening to various Conference Talks as I have been copying posts from my family blog for our records. Two talks in particular really struck my fancy. The first is by Elder Uchtdorf, entitled "Two Principles for any Economy."  He talked about the importance of work and told a story about his family struggling to get their feet back on the ground in post war Germany. He said, "It wasn’t easy, but the work kept us from dwelling too much on the difficulties of our circumstances. Although our situation didn’t change overnight, it did change. That’s the thing about work. If we simply keep at it—steady and constant—things certainly will improve."


He further continued, "Work is an antidote for anxiety, an ointment for sorrow, and a doorway to possibility....When our wagon gets stuck in the mud, God is much more likely to assist the man who gets out to push than the man who merely raises his voice in prayer—no matter how eloquent the oration. President Thomas S. Monson put it this way: 'It is not enough to want to make the effort and to say we’ll make the effort. … It’s in the doing, not just the thinking, that we accomplish our goals. If we constantly put our goals off, we will never see them fulfilled.' "



The other talk I was listening to that really prompted this post was by President Thomas S. Monson and is entitled, "What Have I Done for Someone Today?" He starts by telling a story about a man whose father used to ask his family around the dinner table each day to relate what they had done for someone that day. He says of the man, "Dr. McConnell calls this exercise his father’s most valuable legacy, for that expectation and those words inspired him and his siblings to help others throughout their lives. As they grew and matured, their motivation for providing service changed to an inner desire to help others."


President Monson goes on to say, "The Savior taught His disciples, 'For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.' I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives."



He adds, "...President David O. McKay made this statement: 'Man’s greatest happiness comes from losing himself for the good of others.' Often we live side by side but do not communicate heart to heart. There are those within the sphere of our own influence who, with outstretched hands, cry out, “Is there no balm in Gilead?”


I am confident it is the intention of each member of the Church to serve and to help those in need. At baptism we covenanted to “bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light.” How many times has your heart been touched as you have witnessed the need of another? How often have you intended to be the one to help? And yet how often has day-to-day living interfered and you’ve left it for others to help, feeling that “oh, surely someone will take care of that need.”

We become so caught up in the busyness of our lives. Were we to step back, however, and take a good look at what we’re doing, we may find that we have immersed ourselves in the “thick of thin things.” In other words, too often we spend most of our time taking care of the things which do not really matter much at all in the grand scheme of things, neglecting those more important causes.

Many years ago I heard a poem which has stayed with me, by which I have tried to guide my life. It’s one of my favorites:I have wept in the night
For the shortness of sight
That to somebody’s need made me blind;
But I never have yet
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind."


Then President Monson started listing numerous acts of service that had been done and recorded by members of the Church to present to him as a birthday present. It's really a great talk and motivating to hear of the outpouring of love and Christlike service to others, even in simple ways. It's really all about taking the time to look a little outside of yourself and think of someone else. Some of my favorites included:

One small child wrote, “My grandpa had a stroke, and I held his hand.”
Another, “I played with a lonely kid.”
From a 4-year-old boy, no doubt written by a Primary teacher: “My dad is gone for army training for a few weeks. My special job is to give my mom hugs and kisses.”

Such simple acts of kindness, but at the same time, so meaningful to the individuals who both gave and received the service.

Hearing these two talks again reminded me of the blog post I read those months ago about the kindness a day project. When I first read it, I felt the desire to do something similar, but I kept putting it off, thinking I could wait until the beginning of a new month or wait for this or that until I had forgotten all about it. Well, it is almost the end of the month, but I'm not going to wait until November 1st. I want to begin tomorrow, no even today.

I truly do have a desire to be more Christlike and I truly do feel compassion for others. But as President Monson said, although it is often my intention to do things, I don't always follow through. I've been blessed to have many friends and family members in my life who have been great examples of service. Even as I was copying over my old blog posts this evening, I found a post about my friend, Anah, who made blue and pink cupcakes for me at a playdate the day I found out if baby #2 was going to be a boy or a girl. It was something so simple, but also so thoughtful. If she had thought of it, but not followed through, I never would have known. But she DID do it and it meant a lot to me. I also like the quote from President Monson that Elder Uchtdorf gave (above) about it being in the DOING, not just the THINKING that we accomplish our goals. And so I want to start now, in little ways. 


In President Monson's talk, he also talked about countless Primaries that made it a goal in their primaries to do kindness for others. Since I am currently the Primary President in the ward and we have a new year coming, I wonder if I can incorporate this somehow. But for now, I'm going to start with working on ME.

I want to end this post by quoting some more from President Monson's talk:

"The words from the 25th chapter of Matthew come to mind: 'Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.


Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.'


My brothers and sisters, may we ask ourselves the question which greeted Dr. Jack McConnell and his brothers and sisters each evening at dinnertime: “What have I done for someone today?” May the words of a familiar hymn penetrate our very souls and find lodgment in our hearts:

Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone’s burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?

That service to which all of us have been called is the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. As He enlists us to His cause, He invites us to draw close to Him. He speaks to you and to me: 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.' ''