When I was a teenager, every evening, one of my parents would call up to my bedroom, “Dinner is almost ready! Time to come help!”
It was the expectation that my sisters and I would help set the table and get the food ready to be served.
The problem was…
They always asked me to come and help at the most inconvenient times.
I was always in the middle of some math problem, or writing an essay, or reading a book, or talking with a friend.
It was never a good time.
And so, more often than I care to admit, about five minutes later, the call would come up the stairs again, “Cali, we need your help! Come on down!”
The thing about calls to service are that they rarely come at a convenient time.
Whether it’s your mom, your kid, your neighbor…
I’m sure I’m always “in the middle of something”.
But what I’ve learned as I’ve matured, and thank goodness that teenage Cali matured, is that service isn’t about us.
My parents weren’t trying to inconvenience me and annoy me and make my life harder.
They just straight up needed help.
My mom or dad had already just made dinner for me (DEFINITELY did not appreciate that as much as I should have!), and they were asking for help getting everything ready to go on the table.
And my sisters who may had already gotten downstairs needed help with their tasks so it wasn’t all on them.
This was not about me and if I was in a convenient stopping point. At all.
It was about the people who needed help.
When the Lord called someone to serve in D&C 117:14, the reason given for him to come speedily to fulfill his assignment wasn’t just because the Lord wanted him to be rushed and inconvenienced.
It was “for the benefit of my people.”
People around us need help. And when they ask for help or when we feel that prompting, it’s not about what works best for us.
(Although yes, I’m all for setting healthy boundaries when needed.)
But ultimately, it’s all about the benefit of the person in need.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
