Choosing to serve

“There were a thousand reasons why Olga could have indulged in self-pity. She chose to serve others and look back at what happens.

“This is before all of us. We can choose to indulge ourselves in self-pity—woe is me which leads only to cynicism, resentment, anger, judgment, criticism; or we can choose to serve others, which leads to holiness and sanctity.” – Father Nicholas

I’ve continued to reflect on St. Olga of Alaska. Father Nicholas’s homily on Sunday has stuck with me.

Matushka Olga, a midwife in a remote Alaskan village, saw both the joy of new life and the sorrow of suffering. I imagine the quiet heartbreak she must have felt walking home in the frigid Alaskan winter after witnessing tragedy, loss, or hardship. It would have been easier not to get involved—to retreat, to harden.

To pity herself over what she had experienced.

But she didn’t. She leaned in. Again and again, she offered her presence, her compassion, her strength—especially to women who were victims of domestic abuse.

In doing so, she became a living icon of Christ’s mercy.

We’re all faced with that same choice. We can turn inward, clutching our pain until it poisons us with bitterness. Or we can walk the harder road: the path of service, presence, humility.

Self-pity isolates. Love sanctifies.

Lord, help me be like St. Olga. Present. Gentle. Strong. Willing to bear another’s pain, and offer Your mercy in return.

Lines That Stayed With Me is a personal series of reflections on things I’ve heard in the Orthodox Church that made me pause and think deeply. These are my interpretations—shaped by where I’ve come from, including my Protestant background—and how I’ve been processing them as part of my ongoing journey.