Have you ever felt prompted to help someone but hesitated because it felt awkward or uncomfortable? In this clip from Pebbles of Light, Anne Maxson shares a powerful moment when following a quiet spiritual nudge led to unexpected connection, comfort, and light.
These small acts—what she calls pebbles of light—can change someone’s day more than we realize.
PEBBLE FOR THIS WEEK: Think about your week. Find a situation that you can approach with a prayer in your heart to know what you can say or do to provide light to someone in that moment.
Resources from this episode:
Joy in the Covenant by Julie B. Beck (Amazon affiliate link)
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TRANSCRIPT
WELCOME
Welcome to *Pebbles of Light* Episode 2: How to Move Forward When Serving Others Feels Uncomfortable**
First, I want to say a huge thank you to all of you who’ve provided so much support and encouragement after Episode One. I want to share a review of the week. This one comes from A Full Nest Digest. She says:
“Anne has the most amazing storytelling ability. I love her perspective on life and her ability to always look for the light and the good in everyone around her.”
Thank you so much! If you have an opportunity to share a review, I would so appreciate it. It really helps to get the podcast out to those who are looking for a message of light and hope.
Before we jump in today, I want to share a quick word from this week’s sponsor.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
When determining what companies I would want to work with to help support *Pebbles of Light*, Shine Cosmetics was at the top of my list. I mean, even their name ties in with the title *Pebbles of Light*.
I had heard all about the amazing quality of Shine BB Cream for quite some time. Then I heard the origin story of the company as part of an interview on the *Cultivated Good Life* podcast. You guys, this company started when a mom was helping her daughter get ready for a dance recital and realized that the names of the makeup in her bag sent a message she didn’t want her daughter to hear.
At Shine, you get shades with names like **Beloved, Majesty, Determined, Loyal, Valued, Courage,** and **Empowered**—and it’s amazing makeup. I’m not a big makeup person, but Shine helps me love makeup. And if you want some lip color that isn’t going to get all over your face mask, then their Lip Last is the way to go.
Head on over to Shine Cosmetics and use code **ANNEM10**—that’s Anne with an E—or click the link in the description for 10% off on some amazing makeup with a positive message and help support *Pebbles of Light* at the same time. It’s an awesome deal.
BACK TO THE SHOW
As follow-up to last week—do you remember the pebble last week? The pebble was to think about and document your light shiners. How did that go?
Please feel free to reach out to me through *Pebbles of Light* on Instagram or wherever else you can find me—there are links in the show notes—and let me know how it went for you.
In what ways have you been able to provide a pebble of light to others? And has it ever made you feel a little bit uncomfortable?
Today I want to share three stories of my experiences where I’ve had to go out of my comfort zone in order to share a pebble of light with others.
Frequently, I’ve found myself in situations where I felt prompted to do something, but I’ll add a caveat. For example, I’ll get an impression like, “Tell this person that they’re doing a great job,” and I’ll respond in my head, “I’ll do that if they happen to walk right past me.”
I’m constantly working to become more dependable and allow the Lord to use me in His circumstances—not just when I force it into my ideal situation.
STORY 1: TYPING A PERSONAL HISTORY
Shortly after my husband and I moved into a new ward, I had a prompting that I should ask one of the ladies in the ward if she would like me to help her type up her personal history. She had somewhat severe arthritis, so it wasn’t totally unjustified—but still, I thought: *That’s a beyond-the-boundaries type of question.* Seriously, if someone asked me if they could type up my personal history, I’d be a little hesitant, especially if it was someone I didn’t know very well.
I tried to put the thought on the back burner, but it stuck with me.
Months later, I was bringing this sweet sister some cookies. She invited me into her house and we chatted for a bit. The prompting came back. I thought to myself, *I’m not gonna bring it up. It just sounds too crazy.* However, the prompting was persistent, and so I said, “I have kind of an odd question for you.”
She looked a little concerned and said, “Okay…”
I asked her if she kept a journal or if she had a memoir or anything like that. She said that she’d been a diligent journal writer since her teens and that she believed it to be important. With that, I had the thought: *See? She has a journal. I fulfilled my part of the prompting.*
Quickly I felt reprimanded by the Spirit, and I knew I needed to continue to follow through. I explained that the reason I had asked was that I had felt prompted to ask if she would like help typing up her history.
Instantly the Spirit filled the room. She teared up a bit and said that she’d been trying to figure out how to compile her journals and stories and put them on the computer. Her arthritis made it very difficult and painful to write or type, and she had been praying for a way to make it work.
I finally understood what the Spirit was trying to convey and the way in which I could be a ministering angel to this sweet sister.
We made up a schedule and got started on our project right away. Even though it took me a few times to get the message, following this prompting—which made me feel really foolish at first—brought me an amazing friend. During our weekly visits, I came to know an absolutely amazing person.
When I brought cookies that first morning, I’d included a note that emphasized my admiration for her continued optimism even through her difficulties with arthritis. I will always hold dear those memories of sitting at her computer on Sunday afternoons while she told me about her life.
You see, frequently the Lord doesn’t just bless those who are served—but those who do the serving seem to get a large portion of blessings as well. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows what we need and provides it for us, even though sometimes we need to get out of our comfort zone to receive it.
STORY 2: ENCOURAGING A WOMAN AT PHYSICAL THERAPY
The second example happened just a few years ago while my boys were in swimming lessons. There was an elderly woman working with a physical therapist in the same pool.
Having had to endure my share of physical therapy in the past few years, I knew that it is difficult, and at times you wonder if it’s even worth it. Watching this woman work so hard to do these exercises, I had the thought that I should say something encouraging.
Almost immediately, I started to brush the idea aside: *Well, I don’t want to interrupt her therapy session. It’s so hard to hear in this pool area anyway. I don’t want to seem like I’m yelling at her. Maybe if she gets out before we leave, I’ll consider talking to her then…*
Then I remembered my resolve to follow through when I received those promptings.
I put it off until the last minute as we were walking out the door. I leaned down to the edge of the pool where she was and said, “I’ve had to do some of these same exercises. It’s not easy, but it’s definitely worth it.”
She gave me a huge smile and a thumbs-up.
STORY 3: A HUG FOR A STRANGER
The third experience is probably the one that pushed me out of my comfort zone the most.
At the time, I was seeking some guidance from the Lord. I had gone to a nearby river here in Boise and made my way down to the bank of the river to wander and think and pray. While I was there, I received an outpouring of encouragement and comfort, knowing I was headed in the right direction.
As I turned to head back toward the bank, I saw a woman standing at the edge of the water. I heard the Spirit whisper, *Can I count on you?*
What a loaded question, right? I had a feeling this was going to push me out of my comfort zone, but having just received that blessing of comprehension, the least I could do was show gratitude by being dependable.
I felt impressed that I should hug this woman. For the record, I’m not a huggy person. In addition, being barely five feet tall, hugs can sometimes feel a little awkward. But I knew I needed to follow through. Besides, this woman was shorter than me.
As I approached, I noticed that the woman was Hispanic. Having served a Spanish-speaking mission, I thought, *Ah-ha, I get why it’s me that You’re sending.*
I walked up and said, “¿Habla español?”
She said no. On my mission, we frequently would get the same response because people assumed we had asked if they spoke English and would automatically say no. Just to clarify, I asked if she spoke English. She confirmed that she did, and I was starting to feel quite foolish at this point.
I forged ahead by saying, “I know this sounds weird, but I feel like you might need a hug.”
It seemed like an eternity passed as I waited for a response. Eventually I said, “Do you need a hug?”
Tears came to her eyes as she nodded and reached for me. She held on tight for about ten seconds—which seems like a *really* long time when you’re hugging a stranger. I tried to think about sending her God’s love through that hug.
People always ask if I know the rest of the story—why she needed a hug, why it had to be me. I don’t know.
As we stepped apart, the awkwardness started to creep in again. I quickly cupped her elbow, looked her in the eye, and said, “I hope you have a wonderful day.” Then I hiked back up the bank to the trail.
REFLECTION
Can you relate to any of these experiences?
When is a time that you felt awkward when following through on a prompting to help lift someone else?
Even when it’s uncomfortable, it’s satisfying to know that I’ve been able to be His hands to comfort His children. It’s a rewarding experience when—even for just a moment—we can see another as He would see them and feel a bit of the love that He has for them.
In her book *Joy In the Covenant*, Julie B. Beck discusses the importance of being someone the Lord can rely on. She says:
“I believe we can all develop a lifelong pattern of stepping forward and saying, ‘Somebody needs to help, and I will do that.’ Being a somebody is more than serving in Church callings. It is seeing a need anywhere and filling that need. We might call it discipleship. The Lord knows and depends on somebodies to do all kinds of things. Our help makes a difference, and in making that difference, we follow the Savior’s example of going about doing good.”
Ponder for a moment a time that you’ve been blessed by the seemingly random act of a stranger. How did it help you in that moment—or even later on? The fact that you still remember that little pebble of light is telling.
What changes can you make so you can be a better “somebody”?
PEBBLE OF THE WEEK
The pebble for this week is to think about your week and find a situation you can approach with a prayer in your heart—to know what you can say or do to provide light to someone in that moment.
I’ve been doing this experiment for a while. I started trying to go into situations with a prayer to know what to say to people—whether it was the clerk at the drugstore, someone at the temple, or a teacher at the boys’ school. I’ve been amazingly blessed by this experience.
Does it push me out of my comfort zone? Of course it does.
There was one time where I saw this sweet elderly lady, and I felt so strongly that I needed to tell her she was beautiful. And she was. I don’t know if I would have noticed on first glance, but as I received this feeling, I was able to recognize that beauty in her. I went up to her and told her I thought she was beautiful. She teared up and gave me a hug. (Apparently I get lots of hugs here!) It was such an amazing experience.
So that’s the pebble of the week: start going into situations with a prayer to know how you can help lift another—even if it’s uncomfortable.
CLOSING
Thanks so much for being here. See you next week!
Thank you for tuning in today. More than what has been said, I hope that you’ve been able to listen to your thoughts and feelings. Maybe you’ve thought of someone who’s brought light to your path—let them know of your gratitude. Maybe you’ve been inspired as to how to add some light to your own path or the path of another. Do your best to act on those feelings and impressions.
I would love to learn more about you and your experiences. Please come find me on Instagram and Facebook at *Pebbles of Light*. If you like what you hear, please review so we can spread this light further.
You can find show notes and more resources at **annemaxson.com**.
Until next time.
