Service, doing what is needed

Service is an interesting concept that I love to do, but that sometimes I forget what it really is and avoid doing it for those reasons. Service is doing what is needed when it is needed, or at least that is my definition for service. I will put it another way. If you are walking through the hot desert and the sun is baking your brains, your body is demanding water to make the trip and you see someone coming towards you in a jeep. They get out of the jeep and hand you the most beautiful dress you have ever seen, jump back in, grab a quick drink from the gallon of water they carry, and roar off into the sunset. Is that service? Yes, it would be nice to have that amazing dress, the one you have always wanted, but no, it is not service. Or rather, it is self service, done for the giver and not the receiver. Service is needs based, the needs of the receiver and not the giver!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to do some service and a few people have looked at me as if I had a cracked head. Stephanie and I did special music for a singles conference. I admit, that was weird, there are so many single people that could have done an admirable job but they asked us so we did it, and we did well or so I believe. From there I went shopping, heck, I was on the mainland with almost 3 hours to fill, got some new slacks, a skirt and a top....all in all a productive day I would say....but that is not the point.

In the afternoon I went down to the Temple, dressed in white and sat down at the organ to play for the first session of our ward conference in the Assembly room of the temple. I played about 15 minutes of prelude, the opening hymn and then postlude until the room was again empty, found a stepping off point and cadenced. Walked back to the escalator that took me to the locker room, changed into street cloths and came home. Someone made the comment that I had not done a session and didn't I feel bad. I don't think they liked my answer because I assured them I felt great about my service. I had done service for the living and not the dead, but I had offered my service with a grateful heart at being asked. Yes, there were others that could have done what I did, but they asked me. Service is what is needed and not always what we want to do. It would have been rewarding to do a session but it did not diminish the rewards I felt for doing the service I did.

Heavenly Father has a plan for us, an individual plan as well as a group plan. It is our responsibility to keep an open heart and mind so that we can hear and feel what he would have us do. I know he gave me back my music so that I could use it to serve others, and through that service help people find their way back to him.