Monday, October 7, 2013

Why it's okay to be a girl and NOT serve a mission.


This is a topic that has been on my mind for the last couple of months, and I thought: Maybe I'm not the only one dealing with these emotions. So here is why it's okay to be a girl and NOT serve a mission. 

Since I was a little girl around the age of 4 I remember telling my Mom that I wanted to serve a mission, and when I got old enough I was going to. People at church would randomly ask me if I was going to serve a mission and I would always answer, “YES”! I thought it was perfect; I would go and then come home and then be married by 23.

Well when I turned 16 and was allowed to date, my mind changed a little. I still wanted to go, but I was starting to understand why you would want to get married instead of serving.  Life happened and by the time 21 came around I wasn't in a position to go. I was fully supporting myself and had been since age 18. And these days it’s really hard to save up the 8-10,000 dollars you need to go. Also life was crazy and I had some things I needed to figure out.

Eventually I started to really consider it again. I have always had a desire to share what I knew with other people. The greatest joy I had ever felt was teaching my best friend about the gospel and watching her accept it and be baptized. I have never felt anything more fulfilling than being a part of that.
I prayed and prayed. I wanted the answer that I should serve.  That I should start my mission papers right away, and go and do as the Lord commanded me. I never got that answer. It was hard for me to accept that. I had always wanted to go; I knew I would be good missionary. Why did I not feel peace when I asked to go?

The answer I received was this: You can serve right where you are, I need you here.
That has been comforting for me as I've gone through feelings of regret and guilt. But I know that the answer I was given was true. He needs me here, and that’s okay. And it’s just as okay as those who choose and are called to serve officially as a missionary.


So for those girls out there who with this new lowered age change for serving are struggling with feelings of guilt for not going on a formal mission. Say a prayer to your Heavenly Father, he will answer you. He knows where he needs you and maybe it is on a mission. But maybe it’s right there where you are.  
And that’s okay. 

6 comments:

  1. I love this! You are incredible. Thanks for speaking up for the girls still at home :)

    -- thedesertdaisies.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks Hannah. I really felt the need to put this out there! I surely couldn't be the only one feeling like this. :) Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Thank you for writing this. I wanted to serve a mission as well, even though I didn't grow up wanting to. I took mission prep classes and tired to prepare myself, but when I prayed, I always felt like the answer was "no." All but my two closest friends ended up going and serving, and I had a lot of feelings of shame and disappointment, thinking that the Lord just didn't trust me or want me to serve. But after a lot of prayer, I was given the same answer that you were: The Lord had plenty of work for me to do, right where I was. Every time that itch to serve a mission presented itself, those same feelings of shame and doubt accompanied it, but the Lord always reminded me that He wanted me where I was and I was always presented with a huge opportunity to serve that confirmed my reasons for staying.

    Serving a mission is a noble and great thing to do, and I'm so grateful for those who put their lives on hold to go. But I've also come to realize that it is also a noble and great thing to lift where you stand, and "put your life on hold" in the daily things you do to serve the Lord, like magnifying your calling, helping a ward member in need, serving your friends and family, and the like. The Lord needs servants everywhere, not just those who wear the name tag.

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    1. Thank you Kaylee for that comment! That was so good that I should have let you write my post! I'm glad that you've been able to serve where you are even with those feelings creeping in! You are brave and I am grateful for your kindred spirit!

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  3. THANK YOU. I haven't felt that guilt for a while, but sometimes I remember how I felt it and when that happens, something like this comes along to reassure me that I'm where I should be, doing the things I should be doing. Seriously, thank you.

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    1. You're so welcome Courtney. Love how you write by the way. :)

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