The other day my companion and I were doing some service in the community. We were helping out somebody shovel a big pile of gravel. We were moving the gravel, with the help of a trusty wheelbarrow to another spot around the building. At first, the work wasn't all that difficult, just fill the wheelbarrow, roll it around, and dump it. But as fatigue set in I became a bit discouraged. Every time we went back to that pile of gravel, it looked exactly the same. I didn't feel that my efforts in transporting that gravel were accomplishing a whole lot.
I think a lot of people fall into this trap when trying to help others. We don't see the immediate results of our efforts so we become discouraged. Just like the gravel pile, those we are trying to help don't always look or act a whole lot different right away. Even in our day-to-day interactions with them, we may not recognize how much we really are helping. However, the Lord has told us to "be not weary in well-doing, for [we] are laying the foundation of a great work" (D&C 64:33).
So I'll fast-forward to the end of our gravel story. The gravel will eventually be laid out to make a walkway leading up to a doorway. Although it doesn't seem very productive at the time, our efforts will help people comfortably get from their cars to the doorway of that building.
I know that as we continue to help others, God will bless us. It may be difficult or frustrating, but our efforts are appreciated. We will come to know that "out of small things proceedeth that which is great"! And that's a promise!
