The Holy Ghost Gives Me Courage

My wife and I are naturally shy people. We would be very happy to sit at home reading books (lately our favorite has been reading Dilbert) or doing puzzles together. We are naturally inclined to keep to ourselves and let the world go on around us, bent on its own destruction.

But the Lord has a higher way. He "who went about doing good" asks us to "go and do thou likewise" and "be anxiously engaged in a good cause"(Acts 10:38, Luke 10:37, D&C 58:27). In seeking to follow Him, Jesus Christ asks us to bless the lives of others.

When I think of reaching out to others, reservations come to me. What if they don't want my help, or what if they're mean? After all, I learned on my mission that often the people who need the most help turn out to be the meanest and most hostile. However, the Holy Ghost gives me courage to go outside my comfort zone, and reach out to those who do not have the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives.

A few months ago I was assigned to hometeach a family that is less-active. Feelings of apprehension quickly came to me, but I did not let them override my faith. Instead I felt the witness of the Holy Ghost that God wanted them to know of His love for them through me.

My wife and I went over to see this family and they welcomed us in. They weren't mean, and they didn't yell at us. In fact, they were very nice and fun to talk to. Over the last several months we've developed a wonderful friendship. Now they're even open to us sharing gospel messages with them from the Ensign. So far their reception has been very positive, and the way has been opened for them to come back into full activity.

I found out recently that others from the church have tried to go by and have been met with a cold reception by this family. My wife and I are the only contact they have with the church. And so I wonder, what would have happened if I had let my fears stop me from going by that very first time? What would have happened if I thought that someone else more social or outgoing than me would be better suited to reach out to them?

I wonder how many of us are waiting for others, who appear more aptly suited, to do the task that was meant for us. I wonder how many more lives would be blessed, how many more souls would come to Christ, if we had faith in the Lord to home or visit teach those we have been assigned even if we don't know them, not to mention ministering to all the other strangers we meet all along our way.

I have seen, through this experience and others, that the Lord will help us to follow Him. He will give us the courage we need to reach out to and bless the lives of others. I have also seen that as I have put my trust in the Lord and done things that were "scary", the promise of this scripture has been fulfilled:

"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour" (Isaiah 43:2-3).