LURVE TO SERVE

I have meant to write about this for a week now, because it is something I feel rather strongly about.
But because I didn't... you get the recap version instead!

Like Cebbies said, our week 3 goal was a focus on service.

I was so excited- something I have tried doing for a while now is making a concious effort to serve someone every day.
I know "serve" can sometimes be vague. It usually connotates how the other person recieves your action rather than the purity of the intent which you gave it. So in my head, I think of service as simply doing something nice for someone- and then I don't worry about how they take it. (I prefer to think that the good I have done people outweighs all the other times when I've creeped them out.)

*There is a great quote that I know but cannot cite correctly so I won't post it until I find it verbatim.*

The point is, our call is to give love. (Personally, I'm a lot better at listening to people than winning them over with baked goods. But everybody does what they do best.)
The important thing is to make an effort to give love even when it seems inconvenient or uncomfortable.

For example! Sunday night of last week, my professor told me the paper that I had spent Saturday writing was too off-topic. So I took it as a challenge to not become self-absorbed in the two days I had before the paper was due. Monday, I still went to FHE. Tuesday was my crunch day... but I was so blessed.
I spent the morning and a bit of the afternoon in the library working on it. I mean, I had already done the readings for it- but looking back, I honestly don't know how I cranked out over six pages so quickly. I even took an hour break in the middle to help my friend film a standup. I saw her in that blazer and my heart melted a little; I know how heavy that camera and tripod is for girls our size. And it was great!
I came back to the library and STILL finished my paper early. I did something else that was good that night- maybe I went to the temple; I don't really remember. But it was so great. I knew I had been blessed with extra time because I was trying to put the Lord first.

And here is something I never even expected!
Being written the day before it was due, I wasn't expecting a good grade on the paper. I thought it was pretty mediocre compared to all the other ones they would read. As a broadcast major, it is really hard for me to write research papers that don't feel like news articles. And this is a 400 level PolySci class (that I took just because I wanted to- don't judge!) with professors who are known for being tough graders.
But on my paper, beside my circled final grade there was this note:
"You write very well. Good job."
I could have cried, had I not been in the middle of my next class when I finally snuck a peek.

I still maintain that the paper is nothing special. And I still maintain that you get blessings for serving above and beyond what you expect or deserve. Kind of like reading your scriptures. I just can't function well without it. And I think I'm okay with that.