Serving my fellow man

A lot has happened this last week in the world.  Scary stuff.  Things that make me want to gather my children close and never let them go anywhere without me.  Things that make me want to rethink this whole lifestyle we have chosen for our family.  Then after the scary stuff comes the voices of people who are scared.  Scared that their way of life might be affected.  Scared that welcoming refugees means welcoming terrorists.  And with these scared voices come angry voices.  They are covering the scared with the mad.  I think it's easier for us to be indignant than compassionate.

It is something I've been debating internally.  How much do I let the fear control me?  And how do I let that go to be able to serve my fellow man?  My studies this week come perfectly timed to help me answer my inner dialogue.  King Benjamin, a good and righteous king serving his people in the Americas about 125 years before Christ was born, delivered a message before he died.  You can read his address to his people in the Book of Mormon, the book of Mosiah, chapters 2-5.  Within that address, in Mosiah 2:16-17, he says, "Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God. And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

How can I ignore that?  I love my Heavenly Father, and want to serve Him.  How do I do that?

Our living prophet on the earth, Thomas S. Monson, gave a talk titled “How Firm a Foundation” in October 2006.  In it, he said of service, “This is the service that counts, the service to which all of us have been called: the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Along your pathway of life you will observe that you are not the only traveler. There are others who need your help. There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save.”

A living prophet of God is telling me to look around and serve those in need!  We will be receiving many travelers in the coming years who will need our help.  There are many ways to help.  I found some incredible articles on the subject.  "The Town that Rescued 5000 Mormon Refugees" reminded me of a time when early members of my church were refugees.  They were driven from their homes in the middle of winter, and the kind people of Quincy, Illinois took them in.  There is a very good chance that some of those 5,000 were my ancestors.  The love and kindness shown to them is an incredible example to me.

"4 Simple Ways to Help Refugees in Your Community" tells us specific ways we can help refugees coming into our country.  We need to remember that these people have seen horrific things happen to their family, friends, and country.  We need to show compassion to them and let them know that we are here to help them start a new life.  The article offers us ways to help.  They are: 1. Become their friends. 2. Educate yourself and others. 3. Employ refugees and frequent their businesses. 4. Seek Service opportunities in your community.

As I read the article, I thought, “Yes!  These are easy!"  These are ways that we can help welcome scared people into our communities.  I think that if we show love and understanding, we can help the refugees feel a part of our communities.  I know that when I move somewhere new, I need someone to reach out to me – to show me around and to be my friend.  I hope and pray that when I have the opportunity, I can be that person to someone else.  I want to serve my God as I serve His children.  Because after all, we are ALL God’s children and He loves each and every one of us.