unselfish service

This past week Tim was out of town and Cooper was sick.  Cooper is always sick when Tim leaves town.  It must be some deal that the two of them have worked out.  Needless to say, no husband and a sick baby is a recipe for disaster.  Tim is home now and Cooper is feeling better, but I'm left feeling exhausted.  

Tim had the day off today so I left the house this morning for an appointment and to run some errands.  I thought that having some time for "me" would make "me" feel better.  I was angry when I returned home to a messy house, messy kids and a busy husband hustling about doing his yard work.  I started to feel really angry.  I was exhausted, I needed a break, but because I am a mom, I never get a break.  My job never ends.  I need more time for "me."

After cleaning up the house and pouting for most of the day I decided to sit down at the computer and catch up on my blog and e-mails (you know all the important stuff I have to do).  I pulled up my internet home page, which is lds.org and noticed the conference talks were posted there.  My friend told me how much she loved Elder Dallin H. Oaks talk from conference.  I remember thinking it was good, but couldn't remember anything specifically so I decided to read his talk.  The following portions of his talk, Unselfish Service, were an answer to my prayer today.  I wanted to share them with you.  

"Mothers suffer pain and loss of personal priorities and comforts to bear and rear each child. Fathers adjust their lives and priorities to support a family. The gap between those who are and those who are not willing to do this is widening in today’s world…We rejoice that so many Latter-day Saint couples are among that unselfish group who are willing to surrender their personal priorities and serve the Lord by bearing and rearing the children our Heavenly Father sends to their care. We also rejoice in those who care for disabled family members and aged parents. None of this service asks, what’s in it for me? All of it requires setting aside personal convenience for unselfish service. All of it stands in contrast to the fame, fortune, and other immediate gratification that are the worldly ways of so many in our day.

C. S. Lewis explained this teaching of the Savior: “The moment you have a self at all, there is a possibility of putting yourself first—wanting to be the centre—wanting to be God, in fact. That was the sin of Satan: and that was the sin he taught the human race. Some people think the fall of man had something to do with sex, but that is a mistake. . . . What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’—could set up on their own as if they had created themselves—be their own masters—invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come . . . the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”

A selfish person is more interested in pleasing man—especially himself—than in pleasing God. He looks only to his own needs and desires. He walks “in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world” (D&C 1:16). Such a person becomes disconnected from the covenant promises of God (see D&C 1:15) and from the mortal friendship and assistance we all need in these tumultuous times. In contrast, if we love and serve one another as the Savior taught, we remain connected to our covenants and to our associates.

The values of the world wrongly teach that “it’s all about me.” That corrupting attitude produces no change and no growth. It is contrary to eternal progress toward the destiny God has identified in His great plan for His children. The plan of the gospel of Jesus Christ lifts us above our selfish desires and teaches us that this life is all about what we can become."

This beautiful talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks put me right back in my place.  Who cares about me?  I'm ashamed that I was being so selfish.  However, there are so many people in the world today telling us that we should care more about ourselves than others.  Thank goodness for Latter Day Apostles who can guide and direct us, when many others seem to be leading us astray.  I'm now inspired and motivated to get back to serving my family.  I'm grateful for the renewed energy I feel by reading the words of a latter day apostle of God.  I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to serve God's children every single day of my life.  I hope that I never take this opportunity for granted again.