Finding Peace Through Service

I remember standing in my kitchen last spring, feeling completely overwhelmed. My job was demanding, my teenagers seemed distant, and I felt spiritually adrift. I had been going through the motions of church attendance, but my heart wasn’t in it.

When Sister Jensen called asking for volunteers at our ward food pantry, my first instinct was to say no—I barely had time for my own family. But something prompted me to say yes anyway. That first Saturday morning changed everything.

As I helped sort donations and talked with families, I met Brother Thompson, a widower who’d recently lost his job. He thanked me with tears in his eyes for a bag of groceries, and suddenly I saw the Savior’s hands in mine. I realized that I’d been so focused on my own struggles that I’d forgotten the joy that comes from lifting others.

Now, six months later, those Saturday mornings are the highlight of my week. My relationship with my children has improved because they’ve joined me in serving. I’ve felt the Spirit more powerfully than I have in years. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that He works through ordinary people like me when we make ourselves available.

Service hasn’t taken away my challenges, but it’s given me the strength and perspective to face them with faith.