I have realized recently that I like to give myself a lot more credit for service I do outside of my home compared to inside my home.
When I pray for more opportunities to serve, I’m usually thinking about friends and neighbors who might need my help.
I feel like it’s almost “cheating” to count serving my own family members – isn’t that just something expected?
Of course I’m gonna feed my kids, and change diapers, and clean up spills, and drive everyone to school, and play even when I need a nap…
It’s just what I do!
But I’ve found a beautiful paradigm shift when I allow myself to think of it all as service.
“Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works”. (Mosiah 5:15)
It all is good works and service!
And when I think of it that way, I feel so much more LOVE.
I feel so much more love for my kids and my husband who I’m serving.
And I feel so much more love and gratitude to my Heavenly Father.
It gives meaning behind the action.
It makes cleaning up another spill and getting up to play another game of tag purposeful and loving rather than routine and mundane.
I allow myself to view every little thing I do for someone else as “service”, and I realize I’m not “cheating the system” at all.
This IS the system.
Whether you live with one other person, roommates, or a big family – we are created to love the people we are most closely surrounded by.
And so I continue to love and serve.
I’m abounding in good works in my home, and so my home is abounding with love.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
One Response
And when times in my home were challenging, I cooked meals and did laundry for The Savior instead of my undeserving, raucous family!