Guest Blogger: Take or Make Opportunities to Serve

The September theme was Coming Together and Sustaining Each Other in Righteous Choices based on a talk by Renata Forste, BYU Women’s Conference 2010.  

As covenant women, we come from all walks of life, all ages, marital statuses, incomes, education levels, race and ethnic backgrounds—but together, we speak the same simple testimony, we comfort each other and sustain each other in our mutual faith.

Sabrina tells us about a time she didn't feel like she fit in and how she overcame that feeling.

 

Guest Blogger: Sabrina Tingey

The first thing that came to my mind when I got this from Ellen was my first married student ward. I didn't feel a part of the relief society at all and didn't feel like anyone was reaching out to me.

After a month or so in the ward I realized how transitional the ward was and so many of the sisters were as new or newer than I was to the ward.

Everyone thought they were the new people and waited for someone to say hello, but since we were all new no one reached out. Sadly, I can't say that I did anything to overcome that feeling in that ward.

In the several wards I've been in since I notice that it's when I start accepting service opportunities, or seeking out those opportunities that I feel a part of the Relief Society as I sustain others and am strengthened myself.

Whether we are new or old in the ward there are so many opportunities to serve other sisters. I have also learned that as I take/make opportunities to serve I often get to work with a sister more experienced than I am and I learn so much from them.

I love learning what talents others have. Someone's skills and hobbies say so much about a person, and it also helps me recognize things I would like to learn or improve at.

So overall, I can't say I am perfect at recognizing opportunities, or at jumping in when opportunities are presented as that is totally out of my comfort zone, but I do know that when I do it I feel a part of something greater than myself.

Sabrina