The Blessings of a Calling

I think every single member of the church knows this feeling:

You're sitting in the bishop's office entertaining his small talk. He asks you how the ward is, how are the people? So on and so forth. You politely smile and answer but inside you are twisting and turning, dying to know what calling he is going to ask you to be in.

Then, it happens..

He says, "Well, there is something that I wanted to talk to you about."

You say, "Uh-huh." (nervously)

He says, "How would you feel about serving as the (insert most feared calling here)."

I know for me I'm filled with a whole bunch reasons of why I would be inadequate in that calling or why it's just not for me. I also think of why I don't want to do that calling. Whether it be because of time, energy, or because I feel I would be better placed somewhere else.

What I've come to find, though, is that those callings you fear most bring you the most blessings.

I once was woken at 5:00 in the morning filled with ways that I was blessed by all the callings in my life. I would like to share some of those with you.

When I was called as the Relief Society Secretary in my singles ward I was excited but I didn't even really knew what it meant. I didn't know what I would have to do or how much work it would take. From that calling I learned about my amazing organization skills. I learned that I had the ability to approach strangers and get to know them on a personal level without crossing a line. I also learned that a door slammed in your face because a sister is uninterested in what you had to say meant that a card in a mail is a better option. It didn't mean to give up and turn away. Also, since we were pushing our sisters to become closer to the Lord I had to be closer to the Lord.

From that calling I took my organizational skills to primary; where I served as a secretary there. I grew a great love for Primary and for children that I really never had before.

With my organization and my love for children I went to nursery. Here I learned the importance of a lesson. Why it's important to have a schedule for kids and even though they are running around like crazy they may just understand that God gave them a nose to smell. There's always hope, right?

These were all easy callings compared to the one that brought me the most blessings in life: Young Women's Secretary. I had my skills of organization. I had my love for people younger than me. I knew the importance of a lesson and how even if they take away one small aspect of the lesson I did good. I also had the knowledge that even if a door is slammed in your face you never give up but I still was not prepared for this. I had to work on my calling 7 days a week. It was always on my mind and always the most important thing going on. I always talked about and always thought about it. On top of that I was working, going to school, trying to be a wife, and supporting my family. We were so poor and ends were barely meeting. I was exhausted. I look back now and wonder how I even made it through.

From that calling, though, I gained so much knowledge about the gospel. My testimony grew each and every day because I had to share it all the time. Also, I drove those girls everywhere. Our ward boundaries were very large and I had to pick up 3-4 girls every Wednesday night. It was hard. You know what, though, we always had gas. Always. That's not something I ever had to worry about. Also, those girls would ask hard questions. Questions that I never knew the answer to, so I thought. But it showed me that the Lord is always there to guide my words so that those who are in question will always get the right answer. I also learned a great amount of patience that I would have never learned otherwise.

In my current calling I receive blessings each and every day. Blessings that are beyond belief and beyond compare.

How grateful I am for callings. I'm grateful that I'm there to help the ward and help in the building up of the church but I'm also grateful for the blessings. I'm grateful to know that the Lord knows me so well that he knows what I need and how each calling will help me grow and become better. Maybe, just maybe, that's the greatest blessing you can get.