involvement & contribution

Recently I have had feelings, stirrings, to become more involved in my community.  It happened over Conference weekend.  Feelings that I ignored over and over again until I couldn't any more.  Specifically, the feeling was to use my degree in public health and find a way to help others' whose lives are filled with precarious and hopeless situations.  I have had these feelings often lately, but have not acted on them because of my need to stay home with my children.


This is interesting to me because right now I feel that I am a very active participant in my community.  I am active in my church, fulfilling a leadership position that requires a lot of time and effort on my part.  I attend meetings, regularly prepare lessons to teach large groups of children, coordinate a program for girls ages 8-11, plan special performances and activities with all of the children, coordinating teacher trainings, monitor participation of children to assess their needs, communicate with children's parents, etc.

I also write grants for the fundraising committee for the P.T.A. of my children's elementary school.  This often demands a lot of my time and energy.  Not to mention, volunteering in classrooms, during language lessons after school, and being on various committees in the PTA.

I feel like my activities qualify as "community involvement," but recently, it has not felt like it is enough.  Essentially, I have felt that I am not contributing enough to society.

Today I was reading in the May 2011 Ensign magazine a talk by Elder Quentin L. Cook, an Apostle.  He said, "... no woman should ever feel the need to apologize or feel that her contribution is less significant because she is devoting her primary efforts to raising and nurturing children.  Nothing could be more significant in our Father in Heaven's plan."

I love that, and I believe it is true.

So... now I am left wondering and trying to determine where my feelings are coming from...  and then it will be easier to know whether I should follow them or not - right now, that is.