“Letting Others Serve Us,” Ensign, January 2020
Digital Only: Latter-day Saint Voices
Letting Others Serve Us
I’ve always been used to doing things myself because I have a hard time asking for help when I need it. I always feel like it would be inconvenient for people if I did ask. Because of this mind-set, whenever people offer to serve me in some way, I always respond with a resounding, yet kind, no.
A few years ago, things changed. I’d just had my fourth child, and afterward I had to go in for a minor surgery. Of course, I didn’t tell anyone about it, because I didn’t want to inconvenience anyone. The surgery went well, and I was told that recovery wouldn’t be too rough but that I’d be in some pain for a few days. When I got home, a friend from my ward sent me a text message asking if she could bring dinner.
As usual, I typed, “We’re fine, but thank you.” Before I could press Send, my husband asked who had texted me. I told him who it was, what she had asked, and how I was planning to respond.
He sat down next to me and took my hand in his. “If you don’t let people serve you,” he said, “you deny them blessings from Heavenly Father.”
My husband’s counsel made me rethink my reply. Tears came to my eyes as I erased my message. After a moment’s hesitation, I wrote, “Dinner would help us out a ton. Thank you so much for offering!”
My friend brought dinner, and I was grateful my family was taken care of that night. I’m also grateful my friend received blessings for serving us and that I received the blessing of her love and care for my family.
Sometimes it can be hard to let others serve us. We may think we can do it all, even when we’re struggling. I still have a hard time accepting help when I need it, but ever since my husband’s wise counsel, I’ve tried to let people help me when I can’t do everything myself. I don’t want to deny anyone precious blessings that come from serving others. I’ve seen how Heavenly Father blesses them and me, and it has brought joy into my life.