For the Strenth of Youth - Service to Others

Read about this standard here.

Yesterday started out as a really crummy day. I had slept horribly and wandered around with a terrible headache.

In my all-around gloominess, I became increasingly sad and I could not shake it. I felt uplifted when I read the Book of Mormon that morning, but by the time everyone was up and out the door to school, I could not shake this feeling. In my cloudy stupor, I became convinced that David had done something I should be upset about. Oh, what our family puts up with!

Each time I thought about confronting him, I felt like I should not. The more I tried to listen to that guidance, the more sulky I became.

Before long, David had to run an errand and once he left I was quite distraught. I knelt in prayer for strength. I didn't feel much better, but felt like I needed to call a certain sister in our ward and offer my assistance. I really did not feel up to this. Further, I was pretty sure she would not need my assistance, but I continued to feel impressed to call her.

So. . .finally. . .I put myself aside and called her up. I offered my assistance, she assured me she was taken care of, we spoke for a few short minutes, and that was that.

I was quite surprised at the miracle that occured in me however. I felt lighter than air! No more worries consumed me!

When I was grabbing the phone to call her, I noticed a book I had placed on the bookshelf the day before. It is a short little book called "The Remarkable Soul of a Woman" adapted from a talk that President Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave at the general Relief Society meeting on September 27, 2008 entitled Happiness, Your Heritage. I had not quite finished reading it, and failed to see how it could possibly cheer me up, but grabbed it anyways and then made my phone call.

Sitting there, post phone call, lighter than air, I picked up the book and within a page or two read this by President Lorenzo Snow, "When you find yourselves a little gloomy, look around you and find somebody that is in a worse plight than yourself; go to him and find out what the trouble is, then try to remove it with the wisdom which the Lord bestows upon you; and the first thing you know, your gloom is gone, you feel light, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you, and everthing seems illuminated."

This little miracle is certainly what happened to me yesterday and I am so grateful. As a side note, not long after this experience, David received news that caused him to have a long and stress-filled day. I am so grateful for that still small voice that earlier told me to hold my tongue. I was able to be the support I needed to be, instead of being the start of what turned out to be a crummy day for him.