Called to Serve

As I sat, on the back row, in the back corner of Relief Society today, I felt a bit guilty. I was the one that was telling all the women move towards the middle so the teacher has it easier. I wanted to sit by a friend and that is how it worked out...Big deal ... not really. I am kind of a middle row person though. What does that mean? I almost always sit in the middle. Comfort? Safety? There must be some latent meaning.

Anyway, I was thinking about my previous calling, Counselor over Enrichment in the Relief Society Pres. I had three different people ask me questions about being released from that calling.{ we are a unique church in so many ways, but being called to serve in different capacities often dumbfounds my non-member friends. They find it odd, unfair that you don't choose what you want to do, and very time consuming.} The questions were these: Did you cry when they released you? Were you expecting it? and Did the whole presidency get released?

Did I cry? The answer is defiantly not. I am usually happy to move on to something else. Yes, I will miss all that I served with, but the responsibility I am happy to hand over to someone else. This person was shocked. He had served in several bishoprics and from what I understood he had encountered this problem quite frequently. Maybe I am just not emotionally enough tied to the people and I don't cry that much. I don't know. I just found this observation very interesting. I never thought about what the Bishopric had to go through emotionally when they released people. They must have to gear up for whatever emotional response that might come their way.

Was I expecting it? No, not really. In fact, I was thinking on the way to church that morning; things are going pretty good. I will probably be in this calling for a while. Which was fine with me.

Did everyone get released? The answer is no. Should I feel bad. No. I served happily and loved doing it. This was the fourth time I have been in this calling and every time I have been released on my own. The only thing I felt was that maybe I didn't learn all that I could have. I think we are given callings for our own growth. The Lord has given us opportunities to serve and what we do with those opportunities is our choice. Being released is not being fired from a job because of bad performance. {I know that some feel this on a certain level.} You are released so that others may serve and everyone needs the opportunity to use and broaden their talents. Plus, for me as I serve in different callings I feel like my testimony is strengthened and the capacity to love others and see them with gods eyes is exponentially expanded.

I do feel that I didn't do all that I could do in the way of prayer and study in this calling. That makes me sad. I did push some things off to the back burner because life happens. I missed some opportunities for growth. I know I will be given others and hopefully I will be able to take these and learn all that I need to. I hope that I can grow closer to the Lord as I move on through this never ending service that is the Church. I hope I can pray and study to apply myself and learn all that the Lord has intended for me to learn. ... I have eternity Right!