Serving Others Despite MS
One thing I genuinely hope to have in life is a servant's heart. To me, having a heart of service means feeling excited when I see others flourish. To feel joy when I see them thrive. To help and support them in the ways they need and contribute to helping them succeed. I hope to contribute to whatever they need, whether lending a helping hand or simply sitting back and listening.
Balancing helping others and living with MS
To have an MS diagnosis and a heart of service can feel overwhelming. I want to serve others, yet my body doesn't always have the capability. My body feels selfish, yet my heart has so much to give. I'm currently reading a book on parenting, and one of the quotes says, "Opportunities for service don't always come in tidy little packages or at convenient times." I'm not sure if I've ever read anything more accurate.
My goals
Reading this was an eye-opening moment for me. Most times for me, these days are not convenient or at a time when I feel well enough to serve others with my all. I may not always be able to help others physically. Still, I can through things like kindness, compassion, generosity, and selflessness. I yearn to be someone who can seize the opportunity to care for others even when I am facing uncertainty or difficulty. Having MS doesn't excuse me from serving others. It doesn't excuse me from being a decent human being or loving others the way my heart desires. It doesn't excuse me from helping make someone's life easier or their day just a bit brighter.
Let's not underestimate kindness
I know I cannot be everything for everyone. Yet I can be alert to opportunities to serve others through kindness and compassion. If MS has taught me anything, it has taught me to put myself in someone else's shoes before making harmful assumptions or judging someone for their actions.
As those with MS know, MS is a snowflake disease, and we all have our own unique aspects when it comes to this disease. It's so much easier these days to judge someone's attitude or actions than to look past those things and realize that they're human beings going through life's ups and downs too. We never know what kind of day someone is having, so it never hurts to be kind. I hope others will be kind to me on my hard days, so why would I not hope to do the same for others?
MS can't stop me
My actions and my attitude are a constant work in progress. I am nowhere near perfect, but I long that others will see a servant's heart in me and that they will find comfort through that. Every single day someone is struggling with something we cannot comprehend. I can only hope to have the wisdom, discernment, and kind heart others need when their day is feeling too heavy.
I hope to be that for everyone I come across in life. MS causes a lot of emotions and demons for me, but it does not stop me from wanting to give everyone I come across a fair chance. I cannot control how other people act, but I can control how I react to them. I pray to always respond with a clear mind and a whole heart. I hope that the compassion and empathy MS has given me clearly translates to others in everything I say and do.
XOXO,
Calie
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