How Can I Help?

Most of us are born with an innate desire to help others. When we see suffering, our natural inclination is to try to relieve it however we can.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband spoke on this topic in the April 2012 General Conference. He said, "If you come upon a person who is drowning, would you ask if they need help - or would it be better to just jump in and save them from the deepening waters? The offer, while well meaning and often given, 'Let me know if I can help' is really no help at all."

We all know that's true, because when people ask us what they can do to help, we usually say, "Nothing" or "We're fine", when inside we are drowning.

On the other hand, jumping in to help someone isn't always easy, because unless you've walked a mile in their shoes, it can be very hard to know what kind of service is needed or would be welcomed.

So, let's take the mystery out of what we can do to help each other! Some wonderful women have agreed to share with me what helped them through particular struggles, and I'm hoping more will join them. In posts tagged 'How Can I Help?', you'll find interviews with women (most of whom will be anonymous) about what it's like to struggle with depression, cancer, losing a child, chronic illness, and other trials, and what kinds of service meant the most to them.

Everyone's situation is different, and inspiration is key to service, but hopefully over time we'll have built a nice reference guide that will to help us serve our friends and neighbors who are dealing with specific struggles.



Gonna Need Grace