Sharon Eubank, director of humanitarian services for the Church, shared on the Magnify podcast that the best thing we can do to serve others well is to learn to ask questions that don’t have predetermined answers.
One of those is simply, “What is it you really need?”
Asking these types of questions is also a helpful way to respond to President Russell M. Nelson’s invitation “to reach out to ‘the one’ in our lives who may be feeling lost or alone.”
Several women recently joined the podcast to share their experiences serving “the one” and accepting support. They suggested that when we reach out to help others, we don’t need to make a grand gesture to create a lasting impact—small efforts can make a big difference.
Get to the Heart of What Someone Needs
For example, when Stephanie Bryson, portfolio and content manager for communities at Deseret Book, had to leave her newborn baby in the hospital for a few days, she felt overcome with worry that the baby wasn’t going to get the right care. Stephanie got a call from a friend who was a doctor. They asked, “What are you most worried about?”
This question allowed Stephanie to express her deep concerns for her newborn and ask if she needed to move her daughter to a different hospital. “My friend was able to confidently reassure me that the hospital was fine, and it had all it needed to care for my little girl,” Stephanie shares. “Her credible words were the comfort I needed. Her personal interest in me made me feel seen and loved by God.”
Asking a simple question that didn’t have a predetermined answer got to the heart of Stephanie’s concerns and gave her the most comfort possible during that difficult time.
Minister in Small and Simple Ways
We can also ask the Lord for guidance to serve others without having an answer in mind for the kind of service we give.
As she seeks to honor the prophet’s invitation for how to help “the one” in her life, Maria Eckersley says incorporating prayer is essential to finding meaningful (and manageable) ways to serve. On an episode of the Magnify podcast, she shared: “If you pray to God first, then you'll know how to help and which person to help. So, it doesn't feel overwhelming, and you don't have that fear of, ‘Did I do the right thing?'"
Podcast guest and Young Women General Advisory Council Member Jordan Murray responded that she was reluctant to pray about how to be a better ministering sister because she didn’t want to be asked to do something bigger than she could handle.
When she finally asked the Lord what He really needed from her, letting go of predetermined answers that she thought she might receive, her ministering sister called and asked for help with something. “She called right after my prayer,” Jordan shared. “I think sometimes just having the faith that if I'm going to ask, God’s going to give me the strength to do it and the ability to do it.”
On the same episode, guest Aleisha McDaniel shared that staying present in the moment and being mindful of her surroundings helps her be more aware of ways to serve and show God’s love. When being mindful, she’s able to see with God’s eyes, asking herself, “What is it someone really needs?”
“If I’m present in the grocery store and I notice that the person checking out my groceries is kind of crabby, I’m going to look at that name on that name tag, and I’m going to call them by their name,” Aleisha explained. “And I’m going to tell them that I like their pink hair. And I’m going to ask them how their day is going, and maybe I’ll crack a joke and see if I can crack a smile.”
When we get the prompting to do good in the world, we don’t have to question if someone else could do it better. We can ask each other, “What is it you really need?” And we can ask God, “What is it you would have me do?” As we do our part to be God’s hands, He’ll help our efforts be enough.
Get more ideas for responding to President Nelson’s 99+1 invitation by listening to the episode below.
For more ideas on how to respond to President Nelson’s 99+1 challenge or minister well to others, check out the articles below:
▶ Pres. Nelson’s #99plus1 invitation: Ideas for reaching out to ‘the one’ this summer
► One woman’s incredibly welcoming experience in a new ward—4 tips to help your visitors feel the same
▶ How can I love my neighbor when they’re a stranger? Here are 2 simple ideas
▶ 3 hurdles that keep us from ministering—and how to get over them
