I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Within the Church we utilize volunteer member leaders, and members are given callings or assignments. Sometimes this can be at a larger global level or it can be right in our own neighborhoods and communities. My current assignment for the past 2 years has been that of Relief Society President for my ward. This means that I am the women’s leader for the Relief Society organization in my ward. A ward is a geographical grouping of families and individuals that usually amount to about 300 plus people. I haven’t really shared a lot about this part of my life here on my blog, but being a Relief Society President is a very full time unpaid (monetarily)/ volunteer position.
I spend a large portion of my week looking to the spiritual and physical well being of the “sisters” and women in my ward. It is not a burden. I love being able to do this and have been blessed by this opportunity. Yesterday, following on an intuition or prompting as we call it in my church, after speaking to our ward Bishop, I enlisted my ward sisters to reach out to every sister in our ward to check on needs. It was miraculous and humbling watching this sisterhood very quickly reach out to many families to assess needs and then work to fill them, and the best part is that I know I am not the only Relief Society President doing this. The world over there are amazing women working to bless the lives of their sisters.
This last summer I visited a ward in Paris and right as I entered the church building I saw her, the Paris ward Relief Society President. She was greeting, hugging and working the room to check on her sisters. I didn’t talk to her since she was busy, but I saw what she was doing and instantly loved her for it.
Yesterday, as I felt a little overwhelmed with the situation at-hand in my city, our nation and with what the world is facing, I found myself on my knees in prayer asking my Heavenly Father to help me do what was right. I had a sweet reminder from my Heavenly Father, and through this reminder my heart felt courage and light as I was reminded that He was using my sweet fellow sisters around the world to bless the lives of His children in this difficult time, and that as long as we loved and served like our Savior Jesus Christ that good would shine through during this hard time.
I saw that good last night in action as sisters in my ward went out on searches for special infant formula to help out families who were in need. Or others who went looking for water and toilet paper for elderly members of our ward. I know in my heart this is happening the world over as women within and without my church are being touched to reach out, build up, and help others.
This is Ministering from ChurchofJesusChrist.org
I have a favorite church song that talks about women and womanhood. One line in the song talks about how “the errand of angels is given to women.” I know this is true, and I have seen it time and time again. Last night I was reading a story about a woman who was crossing the plains to get to Utah with the pioneers of my church. She was doing it solo with her young family as her husband had been called to serve a mission to Tahiti. This woman got very sick and thought she was going to die. Her fellow sisters encircled her, loved her, and cared for her and administered to her with whatever they had. She got better and made it to Utah and was reunited there with her husband.
The point of this post I guess is that even during scary times when things seem a little daunting, I know that as long as we serve one another and reach out to help others things will be OK. Is it a simpletons point of view?
I hope not.
I hope that if you are holding 3 packages of toilet paper in your hand and see others without, you pass one of your packages to someone else. I hope that as you are filling your grocery cart with supplies, you think to go home and ask your elderly neighbors if they need any help.
I have a very strong belief though that most of you reading this are already doing all of these things and more, and God bless you for it.
Because He will.
I have a lot to do today and need to get to it, but lots of love to you and your families reading this and thank you for doing all that you are doing.
Love,
Jen
