When I first entered Relief Society as a young 18-year-old girl, I was shocked at how many things there were to sign up for!
Like, there were HUGE binders that got passed around.
Binders filled with sheets for taking meals to someone in need, asking for donations for hygeine kits, volunteering to clean the temple, and pretty much anything else I could think of.
And I would watch certain women in my ward who would always sign up for everything.
They’d go through every paper and write their name next to every opportunity they could.
And I remember thinking, “I want to be like that someday”.
Before the world was, when God the Father asked who He should send to create the earth and help fulfill His purpose, there was someone else who volunteered.
Our Savior Jesus Christ said, as recorded in Abraham 3:27: “Here am I, send me.”
He volunteered.
He didn’t have to, and yet He stepped up.
And why?
He volunteered out of love for us.
He loved us so much that He voluntarily agreed to be our Savior.
“This divine love should give us abundant comfort and confidence as we pray to the Father in the name of Christ. Not one of us is a stranger to Them. We need not hesitate to call upon God, even when we feel unworthy.” (D. Todd Christofferson)
We are so loved, and it means that we have this same intimate connection to our Savior that we have with anyone else who has ever chosen to serve us.
I’m sure that Jesus would be the person writing His name on every sheet that gets passed around in a church meeting.
I’ve got some mortal limits to what I’m able to do, and I’ve learned that sometimes me saying “no” to a sign up sheet means I’m actually saying “yes” to more family time.
But anytime that I’m able to say to the Lord: “Here I am! I’m ready to serve! Send me!”
Anytime that I’m able to CHOOSE to do something new out of love, I feel like the Savior’s cheering me on.
And whether the volunteer opportunities come through Relief Society, a community group, work, or through individual prayer, every chance that I get to say “Here am I! Send me!” is a chance to practice using my agency for good.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
2 Responses
Thank you for saying that sometimes saying no is saying yes to something else worthy of our time. I have had so much guilt over the last couple of years because I can’t say yes to so many things. I do what I can but it never felt like enough. I am doing better knowing my best is good enough. It’s better than overcommitting myself and then not following through.
Yes! I have definitely felt that before. Thank you for sharing!