Whom Did I Serve Today?

I just went through another day of my life.  I woke up this morning, ate, went to work, spent my day working, came home--all that stuff.  And when I go to bed tonight, I may look back upon the day if I'm not too tired, and when I do I'm going to have to ask myself just whom I served today, and how.  And I hope that I like the answer to the question.

Did I serve my students effectively and with lots of love?  Another possibility is that I didn't do anything effective with them at all, that they just passed time in my class without getting anything at all helpful from me.

Did I serve my community by serving the students?  Did my community grow any stronger by having kids that are learning important lessons about life and getting along with others from me?

Or did I just serve myself and my own needs, tuning out someone in need because their need wasn't convenient to me, or because I needed a rest or something like that?

Or did I just walk through the day, not really accomplishing any sort of service at all?  Did I look for the easy way out of all situations, avoiding potential problems in order to keep my life simpler and less complicated?

Perhaps I served just the administration of the school, which needs a certified teacher in a classroom to manage the kids and present information.

And tomorrow, what will my day be like--will I make all my decisions based on my wants and needs, or will I look for the needs of the people I profess to serve and try to fulfill those needs?  And whom will I serve?  My students?  My community?  Myself?  Or perhaps all of the above, in ways that are productive and helpful. . . . That of course would be the ideal, and I hope that one day in my life, I'm able to reach such an ideal.

The value of all service lies in the spirit in which
you serve and not in the importance or magnitude
of the service.  Even the lowliest task or deed is made
holy, joyous, and prosperous when it is filled with love.

Charles Fillmore