Callings

One of the things I love about being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the never-ending opportunities we are given for growth and development.  We, as every day members of the Church, are given opportunities to lead, teach, speak, serve, etc.  It is through accepting and serving in these various assignments and/or callings that we have the opportunity to understand the doctrine of the Church even better.  How can you speak about or teach something you don’t understand yourself?  Serving in callings gives us the opportunity to learn more about ourselves as we step out of our comfort zones and put our trust in God that He will help us fulfill whatever we have been asked to do.  Serving in callings also helps us get to know and love the members of our ward (congregation) that much better.  As you pray for and ponder ways to bless the lives of those you have been called to serve, you can’t help but love them.

Yesterday I was released as the Primary President in the San Leandro 1st Ward.  The Primary President oversees the classes and programs for the children (18 months – 11 years old) in her ward.  I’ve served in this calling for the past 2 1/2 years and I have to say that it has been one of my very favorite callings.  I love working with the children and teaching the very basics of the gospel.  I have had so many spiritual experiences through the process of seeking the Lord’s guidance in the staffing of Primary and preparing Sharing Time presentations, Primary Quarterly Activities and the Primary Newsletter and making Home Visits.  I am SO grateful for the wonderful counselors I served with (Roseanne, Tiffany & Ericka).  We had such wonderful times together.  I will miss our fun presidency meetings.  I am so grateful for all the adults who served with me in Primary.  Everyone did such a wonderful job magnifying their callings and doing their best to bless the lives of the precious children in our ward.

I will greatly miss being with the beautiful Primary children each Sunday.  I love them SO much!  Something that has always been very important to me, is to help instill within each child a sure knowledge that they are indeed a child of God and that Heavenly Father loves them SO much.  I got pretty emotional at the end of my final Sharing Time presentation yesterday as I had each child come up and look in a mirror and we all would say “(The child’s name) is a child of God.  Heavenly Father loves (child’s name).”  I think one of the blessings that comes when you serve as the president of an auxilliary is you are allowed to feel a small portion of the immense love that Heavenly Father has for each of those you’ve been called to serve.  My heart overflowed as I felt the love of our Heavenly Father for each precious child as they looked in the mirror yesterday.  This is just some of our beautiful Primary children at an activity we had back in March.  Gosh, I love these kids!

I’ve had about a month to get used to the idea of being released from Primary, but it wasn’t until yesterday morning that I learned what new calling the Lord had in store for me now.  I had contemplated what calling(s) I might be extended, but I was completely shocked when the bishop extended the call to serve as the 2nd counselor in the Relief Society presidency to me.  That calling hadn’t even crossed my mind.  The Relief Society president oversees the needs of all the women in her ward and is assisted by two counselors and a secretary.  After serving in Primary for so long, it  is going to be quite a switch working with adults again, but I think the world of our Relief Society president, Jeanne Wuehler, and I am very humbled by the opportunity to serve with her.  I know that I can learn SO much from her and I am really looking forward to getting to know her and the others in the RS presidency (Amber Tapia and Lisa Potter) even better.

I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is truly Christ’s Church restored on the earth today in its fulness.  Jesus Christ is at the head of this Church.  I am so grateful for the many opportunities I’ve been given to learn and grow through the callings I’ve received in the past and for the callings I will receive in the future.