Welcome To Your New Calling

I got a new calling on Sunday much to my surprise.  We came in late after sacrament and missed all the announcements and after the meeting ended the woman next to me congratulated me on my new calling.  "What new calling," I asked?  Oh, she nervously laughed, "Maybe, I heard wrong.....erm, maybe it wasn't your name they called."  I turned to the Sunday School President in the row in front of me and asked, "Did, they call me to a new calling today?"  "Yes, which is fine, because it doesn't interfere with your Sunday school class, " he said (I teach the 14 year olds.)  Well, at that point I realized I really did have a calling and I figured I better find out what it was so I went over to a bishopric member.  "Hi, Bro. Ingram.  I heard I got a new calling today?"  "Yes! Welcome to the Activities Committee!" 

I have been go-go-going for 6 years. It actually started in the Activities Committee which I did for two years, and then it was on to the Relief Society Presidency for 2 years, and for the past 2 years I have been in the Primary Presidency.  The past two years have been my favorite.  I absolutely LOVED the primary.  There was nothing I loved more than doing my sharing time each month.  It was my time to spend with the kids.  I always felt those times were so very important and that I would never know which one would be the one that a child would never forget.  I felt that Primary was one of the most sacred callings I had ever been given.  The calling was a blessing to me and I got so much out of it.  The time came when I was informed that sweeping changes were going to happen.  It was a hard day for me when it finally happened.

  Over the next few weeks people kept saying things like, "You must feel so relieved!" or "It must be nice to finally be out of primary." or "You must be feeling great now that you can sit back and relax."  But I didn't feel any of those things.  I felt tense and wound up because I didn't have anything to do.  I missed primary and the special spirit that is there.  I felt a little lost. I hadn't had a break in between any of my callings in 6 years.  I went directly from one to the other.  I wouldn't say I defined myself by my callings, but in a way I felt like a part of myself was missing.

In December when the head of the Activities Committee called to see if I could help her decorate the Christmas tree I might have freaked her out when I almost didn't even let her finish asking when I interrupted with "YES I WOULD LOVE TO HELP!!!!!, *ahem* I mean, yes I would love to help.  When can we start?  Can we start today? I'm imagining pink and gold.  I have all the decorations already.  It'll be GREAT!!!  Thank you SO MUCH for calling and asking!"

In January I got called to Sunday School teaching the 14 year old class.  I enjoy it and I am figuring out how to deal with the challenges of teaching 14 year olds.  At first I thought, "How much harder can they be than a whole primary?" Well, they really aren't harder per se, but they do have unique challenges.  Is this calling a challenge on the whole for me?  No, not really.  How did I feel last Sunday when I got called to another calling?   Well, taken off guard.  But, by last night I was angry.  I had my first Activities Committee meeting last night and I was feeling angry about a calling that I hadn't even accepted.  I was saying to myself, "I don't even really know this women very well (the head of the committee).  How do I even know we are going to work well together?

It's a sad but true fact that it takes a certain type of woman to be able to work well with me.  I am blunt, opinionated, focused, assertive, and I like to aggressively get things done.  The women I have worked with the past 6 years have all been like me or have made me look like the quiet one.  We have been very effective and efficient teams.  So I went to my meeting with a resentful, angry heart.  The meeting started with just the two of us.  After about 20 minutes I started to feeling a tingling irresistible pull, planning, ideas, DECORATING!!!! (is that the hallelujah chorus I hear?),scheduling.  Soon, the other member of the committee showed up and I knew there was no problem there. She had been our compassionate service leader, and then secretary for about a year in Primary.  She wouldn't bat an eyelash when my true nature was revealed.  The meeting was nearing the end and I was in full meeting mode.  The head of the committee's husband had joined us and at one point he turn to me and said "Wow, you are really blunt.  I like that, you are going to get along really well with my wife.  In fact all three of you seem to be communicating really well with each other." 

When I left the meeting I felt energized and excited like I haven't felt in months.  Which really made me pause and think.  If the Bishopric had interviewed me for the calling I might have asked them to let me think about it, things have been tough lately and I already have a calling after all.  I have been in a bit of a "mood" since being release from my calling, sometime it's from things I can't always control.   I came home and felt so grateful to my Heavenly Father that he knows what I need better than myself and that he is seeing that those needs are met.  I am now really excited about my new calling and I feel like I have been filled with a huge breath of fresh air.