Fall is upon us and with it change. School is starting, leaves are changing colors, schedules change and the weather transforms the landscape.
Change can be exciting. New friends to be made, pumpkin spice to be enjoyed, hot chocolates and bonfires and lots of fun. Change can also be debilitating. Who are these new people? Why are my routines changing? Can’t I just stay in my bed for longer?
In fact, in our world of change, challenges and checklists sometimes it can seem nearly impossible to avoid feeling overwhelmed by emotions of suffering and sorrow. I am not suggesting that we can simply flip a switch and stop the negative feelings that distress us. This isn’t a pep talk or an attempt to encourage those sinking in quicksand to imagine instead they are relaxing on a beach. I recognize that in all of our lives there are real concerns. I know there are hearts that harbor deep sorrows. Others wrestle with fears that trouble the soul. For some, loneliness is their secret trial. These things are not insignificant.
However, I would like to share something that will help you find a path to peace, hope, and joy — even during times of trial and distress. I want to speak about a way that leads to true happiness and how each one of us can have it despite the burdens that may beset us.
The secret to improving our lives and our level of happiness is found in service and compassion to our fellow humans. When we reach out to bless the lives of others, our lives are blessed as well. As we lift others, we rise a little higher ourselves. Spencer W. Kimball, the 12th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, taught “the more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls.” Or in the words of James Barrie, the author of “Peter Pan”: “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.”
We recently saw this in action amid a flood that devastated so many. It was beautiful to see hundreds of people show up to help those who had lost so much. My husband and sons came home so dirty, I had to meet them in the garage with shorts and let them change out of clothes caked with silt, mud, oil, sewage and who knows what else.
But you know what else they had? Smiles on their faces as they told of the service they were able to render. There are so many stories to be told of those who rushed to the aid of their neighbors who stood in need during this catastrophic time. The volume of resources, physical help and emotional support that was offered was awe inspiring. I am proud to live in this town and rub shoulders with all of you.
As Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf stated, “In today’s world of pop psychology, junk TV and feel-good self-help manuals, this advice may seem counterintuitive. We are sometimes told that the answer to our ills is to look inward, to indulge ourselves, to spend first and pay later, and to satisfy our own desires even at the expense of those around us. While there are times when it is prudent to look first to our own needs, in the long run it doesn’t lead to lasting happiness.”
As we render compassionate service to others we emulate the Savior, who did not seek position, nor was He concerned about whether others noticed Him. He taught, healed, conversed and listened. He knew that greatness had little to do with outward signs of prosperity or position. He taught and lived by this doctrine: “He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”
In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance. Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, notice the loneliness and despair; let us feel the silent prayers of others around us, and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers.
• Jacqueline F. Tupou is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Juneau. “Living & Growing” is a weekly column written by different authors and submitted by local clergy and spiritual leaders. It appears every Saturday on the Juneau Empire’s Faith page.
