Seven years ago I heard devastating news.
Before I had a chance to process it all myself, I had to sit my three children down and find a way to share this news with them.
First, I reminded them of the importance of looking upward and outward.
I explained how our belief and faith in a higher power helps us to find meaning and purpose in our lives. It helps us to make good choices.
I also explained that sometimes when people experience sadness, they look inward. Alone, that sadness can spiral into more sadness. Ironically, it is when we look outward and help others that we feel a bit uplifted. Continuing to look outward, serving those around us and inviting others into our lives, helps us to feel better and better and it helps us to have additional meaning and purpose in our lives.
At this point, the tears came and I shared the news that my brother, their uncle, who had a hard time finding meaning and purpose after turning away from God and who, after looking inward for so long and then struggling with depression for many years, had chosen to end his life.
I believe in walking through grief, not walking around it. Grief does require you to look inward and to have alone time. Much alone time. Yet, it is really important to start taking small steps and transition into looking outward and helping those around you. Those small steps can be smiling or saying hello or doing a random act of kindness. Hopefully, you can then move forward and take even bigger steps. Maybe you could invite someone who is lonely over for a simple dinner or you could take a treat to someone you know that is having a hard time. You could intentionally declutter your house and donate items to local charities.
In the New Testament, Jesus taught that the two great commandments are, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” and “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (See Matthew 22:37-39) Surely, he was talking about looking upward and outward.
During his mortal ministry, Jesus demonstrated looking outward through his many kind acts of service. He encouraged the poor and the needy, he fed, he forgave, he taught, he healed. The most poignant moment for me is when he washed the feet of those disciples who were with him at the last supper. What an example of looking outward! And later, while on the cross, he continued to think of those around him — forgiving, encouraging, looking after.
I currently have an assignment for my church which requires me to check on the women of nine different congregations in and around the СŷƵ. Besides coordinating social activities and participating in area leadership conversations, I get to hear the women’s lessons to each other and to their congregations about faith in a higher power and about serving those around us. I go home each Sunday feeling thankful to know that a higher power (even a loving Father in Heaven) is aware of me and loves me and I find peace as I put faith and trust in Him. In addition, I feel uplifted after socializing with others in my faith community. I feel a connection as I learn of the challenges in their lives and the ways they look upward and outward to meet those challenges.
One resource that members of my church are trying to use and to make others aware of is the . This is a free resource for everybody to use to both find volunteer opportunities in their community and to post “volunteers needed” requests. This resource is currently available in 116 countries. Just this month, I noticed 89 volunteer opportunities posted for Allentown alone. Anything from welcoming a refugee family into the community to donating blood or items such as food, clothing or books, to delivering a meal to those who can’t pick it up themselves due to age or disability or even sewing blankets for those in need. The website is www.justserve.org and the app is free to download.
If you are feeling like you need a lift, I strongly encourage you to find meaning and purpose by connecting with others. Try out the Just Serve resource or a faith community. I encourage you to look upward and outward. I want you to know that you ARE loved and that your life DOES have meaning and purpose. Please look upward and outward to help you to FEEL that love, that meaning and that purpose.
Tricia Price is the Relief Society president for the Reading Pennsylvania Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She can be contacted at readingstakepa@gmail.com. For information about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, go to www.comeuntochrist.org.
