What To Do With My Time

Have you ever thought about volunteering your time to help someone who needs help? Just because…no strings attached…expecting nothing in return? You have? Ok, good. Now have you ever gotten past the thinking part and actually acted on the idea?

In every community in this country there are multitudes of opportunities to offer your talents, your time, or just your friendship in ways that will bring a little bit of light to those who need something, someone, or maybe just a helping hand. It doesn’t matter what age you are, but I’m mostly hoping young people take this to heart.

When I was a young adult the idea of volunteering my precious time to help others was mostly a foreign concept to me. Sure, I was nice to people and respectful to my parents and had a strong sense of right and wrong, but really didn’t have the kind of faith that stepped out and put myself out for others.

And then I met a wonderful young lady that showed me what it was like to give a part of yourself to make other’s lives more meaningful and joyful. When I first met her she was the hands, feet, and eyes of an elderly couple who were pretty much homebound. She would spend time with them every day, sometimes for hours, attending to their needs and just giving them someone to talk to. She was also the kind of person that would drop everything she was doing at a moments notice to help whoever dialed her phone.

Reluctantly at first, but eventually getting more comfortable with the idea I followed her example and realized this is what a believer should look like. Thankfully I married that young lady. To this day her life is filled with volunteering at senior centers, counseling those in need, mentoring young people, and a whole host of other things she prefers people don’t know about. :)

But that’s really the heart of helping others isn’t it? Giving of yourself in a way that benefits others without drawing attention to yourself-expecting nothing in return except “well done good and faithful servant”. Quietly volunteering ourselves in the service of others is an expression of the faith within us, an expression of love for our Heavenly Father and fellow man.

If you’re a teenager or young adult and you find you are sometimes bored with life, or wish you had a way to spread the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven, think about volunteering. Hook up with a program that gives you the opportunity to offer companionship to an elderly person in your community. Find a way to mentor a child that is having a difficult life. Volunteer your time at a local public school or library to help a kid become a better reader. Help out at a local food bank, or serve meals at a local homeless or women’s shelter.

Who you are, including your age and situation in life, will help you decide what might work for you. Just do something to let your light shine. Do something to make at least one person’s life better, because you are there when there is nobody else. Make a difference. And it’s ok if others know what you are doing, just don’t do it to be known.

So anyway as you know by now, I’m a huge proponent of having this kind of living faith that we live with actions, not just words. It doesn’t do much to say be warm and fed and send someone away without the necessities of life. It doesn’t do much good to say you have a faith in a Savior and yet not visit the sick, the shut in, and the lonely. Live what you believe. Live it, live it, live it.