Called to Serve

I will be leaving in 17 days for my mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In 17 days I will be leaving my family and heading off the spend the next 18 months in the Cleveland Ohio area finding people who are interested in hearing the message of the gospel. Lately I've been asking myself why I'm going on a mission. It's something that I want to do, but I've still been wondering why I'm doing it. I'm not the most outgoing person that you'll ever meet. I am pretty shy and quiet, especially around strangers. I'm not very talkative until I feel comfortable with someone or unless I get to know someone well enough that I feel like I can be myself around them. I'm not one to just go up to someone and start a conversation with them, especially a stranger. So, I've been asking myself why I've chosen to go out on a mission where I will spend 18 months knocking on doors and approaching strangers every single day, all day long. I am willingly going and placing myself in a situation that is completely out of my comfort zone. And when I say completely out of my comfort zone, I mean it. So in the last little while as I've been wondering why in the world I would willingly place myself that far out of my comfort zone, I've realized a few things.
It made me realize that I have chosen to serve a mission because I have a testimony of the gospel and I want to share it with others. I also have chosen to serve a mission because I have faith that Heavenly Father will watch out for me while I am serving my mission and that I don't need to be afraid. It wasn't until I really actually started to ask myself the question of "why" that I realized just how strong my testimony is. I, as well as all members of the LDS church I'm sure, have had moments where they wonder if their testimony is strong enough. Sometimes we even doubt the things that we know to be true. We all go through those moments. But as I get closer and closer to my report date I've realized that my testimony of the gospel and my love for the gospel is strong enough that it has caused me to do something that I would never do in a million years under any other circumstances. I have come to realize that the gospel is so very important to me and because of that I am willing to go and do my best to bring the message of the gospel to those who are ready and willing to accept it. I know that the message that I have to share must be of incredible importance, because I'm more excited to share it than anything else. I'm not all that afraid to step out of my comfort zone. I'm excited to have the opportunity to share the message of the gospel with others. Growing up in the LDS church has shaped my life into something wonderful and I can't wait to go out and share it with others. There is a happiness that the gospel brings that just can't be found anywhere else. I can't wait to share that message and happiness with others, even if it does mean taking a large hike out of my comfort zone.