The Honeybee Project

Have you read this talk?

It's pretty good.

I've been thinking a lot about it.

It's amazing to me that during its life, a single bee will only contribute approximately 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey.  A TEASPOON.  That's not very much.  But that's not what has me thinking.

Mostly I've been thinking about this talk because I've felt guilty.  Guilty because Elder Ballard basically issued a challenge that I strongly agreed with but for which I have yet to comply:

"There is one simple daily practice that can make a difference for every member of the Church, including you boys and girls, you young men and you young women, you single adults, and you fathers and mothers.

That simple practice is: In your morning prayer each new day, ask Heavenly Father to guide you to recognize an opportunity to serve one of His precious children. Then go throughout the day with your heart full of faith and love, looking for someone to help. Stay focused, just like the honeybees focus on the flowers from which to gather nectar and pollen. If you do this, your spiritual sensitivities will be enlarged and you will discover opportunities to serve that you never before realized were possible." (www.lds.org)

I have a strong testimony of service!  I know it brings true happiness!  There are lots of times that a leader has issued the challenge to serve more, and I do and I am better off!  And I fully intended to follow Elder Ballard's counsel.  But I have yet to do so (okay, I did once, but it was really a half-hearted effort and I don't even remember serving anyone that day so it doesn't count).

I'm really bothered by that fact that I haven't acted on this, and almost every lesson I've heard in church since then has focused on service (or maybe my guilty conscience is interpreting that from everything I hear).  So........what's stopping me?

I'm lazy.  And selfish.  And life gets busy so I tell myself that I'll do better tomorrow.  But mostly, I'm afraid.  I'm afraid because I know that service can be inconvenient and/or exhausting (which was reinforced in another conference talk).  And if I pray specifically to help someone, and I'm presented with that opportunity, but then forgo it, then what good is praying for it in the first place?

Well, we are starting a new year.  And new years are great times for new beginnings, cliche as it may be.

Usually at this time of year I would make a long list of things I'd like to change and/or do throughout the next year (my resolutions can be quite lengthy).  Some I'd do, some I wouldn't, some I'd maybe add to the next year's list.  This year, I still have a long mental list of resolutions.  But I feel like the one I need to make official by writing down, the one I need to focus on the most, is to follow Elder Ballard's advice/counsel/command.

I'm dedicating 2013 to The Honeybee Project.

Every morning I'll pray for an opportunity to serve and then go throughout the day looking for someone to help.

That doesn't sound so hard, right?

I'm terrified.

Here's to the new year!