What we do
When I walked in to my office the other day, I found myself alone with one of my fellow co-workers. I could tell by the way she was tapping her keyboard, throwing papers around, and hanging up the phone that something was not right. I started walking on eggshells. I tried not to disturb her. Suddenly, she turned to me and said, "You know what Todd, I think I am going to have to go inactive." This was so out of the blue that it caught me off guard. I didn't know what to say. Then she continued to tell me that she had met with her Bishop the night before and he was extending a release to her and asking her to be a teacher in the Primary. She was almost in tears. About two years ago, she was released from the Primary and asked to serve in the Young Womens, now she was going back to the Primary. She had taken the time to calculate that in the 12 years she had lived in her ward she had been in the primary for 9. That was too much. Her sister told her that she was going back because she had not learned what she was supposed to learn the first time. Her Mom told her to just say no. Now she was looking at me to see how I would respond.
I shook my head and said, that sounds like a silly reason to go inactive. I love being in the primary. She told me that I had not been working in the primary for 9 years. I had to agree with her, then I proceeded to tell her that she was not being called because she didn't learn something the first time. I explained that in those 12 years, the primary president had probably recognized her incredible talents and needed her to make the primary a better place. She told she hated it. She just wanted to stay in the Young Womens where she was starting to feel comfortable. I reminded her of how she felt when she was released from Primary and called into Young Womens.
I have been thinking about this conversation for the past few days. I sat down with her again and told her that she was looking at it all wrong. The calling was not extended particularly for what she needed to learn, but what she had to offer those she was being called to teach. Do any of us really know why we are placed in certain places in life? Is it all about us learning? Or should it be about what we can offer to the place we are in?
I learned a long time ago that we are going to be someplace, we need to make the best of it whether we want to be there or not. When I was 15, my parents decided to move to another state. I hated it. I did not want to be with them. I wanted the life I was comfortable living. I spent hours moping around the house. Every week I would tell write 15 page letters to my friends in the place I wanted to be. They would write back telling me how much they missed me. At school, when people asked if I wanted to join them, I would decline. I was too busy being depressed about where I was. I got a job, saved my money, and went back during my Christmas break. It was incredible to be with the people I loved and missed so much. At the end of my two weeks, I returned to my parents and went right back into my pitiful life. They came and visited me during Spring Break.
This went on for almost two years. Then one day I realized how hard it was, how miserable I was, yet my friends in the other state were happy. It was then that I realized they were happy, because they kept living their lives. We missed each other, but that did not stop them from enjoying life. I realized that I could enjoy my life where I was. I continued to write letters, but I had happy things to talk about instead of what a lousy place I was in. We could continue to see each other at Christmas and Spring Breaks. When they came to visit, I had exciting things for them to do, because I had started doing them. It all came down to the choices we made. Both were hard work. I had to work to find all the things I did not like. I had to work hard to go out and try something different with different people. It all came down to a choice.
Many years later, I had to make the same choices when I left this new state for another state. However, this time I was able to use my past experience to make this new adventure a better one. I have done it several times now in my short life time. It is what we do. Each time I move into a new ward, receive a new calling, or change positions, I don't at what is in it for me, but what I have to offer those new people I will be working with.
I shook my head and said, that sounds like a silly reason to go inactive. I love being in the primary. She told me that I had not been working in the primary for 9 years. I had to agree with her, then I proceeded to tell her that she was not being called because she didn't learn something the first time. I explained that in those 12 years, the primary president had probably recognized her incredible talents and needed her to make the primary a better place. She told she hated it. She just wanted to stay in the Young Womens where she was starting to feel comfortable. I reminded her of how she felt when she was released from Primary and called into Young Womens.
I have been thinking about this conversation for the past few days. I sat down with her again and told her that she was looking at it all wrong. The calling was not extended particularly for what she needed to learn, but what she had to offer those she was being called to teach. Do any of us really know why we are placed in certain places in life? Is it all about us learning? Or should it be about what we can offer to the place we are in?
I learned a long time ago that we are going to be someplace, we need to make the best of it whether we want to be there or not. When I was 15, my parents decided to move to another state. I hated it. I did not want to be with them. I wanted the life I was comfortable living. I spent hours moping around the house. Every week I would tell write 15 page letters to my friends in the place I wanted to be. They would write back telling me how much they missed me. At school, when people asked if I wanted to join them, I would decline. I was too busy being depressed about where I was. I got a job, saved my money, and went back during my Christmas break. It was incredible to be with the people I loved and missed so much. At the end of my two weeks, I returned to my parents and went right back into my pitiful life. They came and visited me during Spring Break.
This went on for almost two years. Then one day I realized how hard it was, how miserable I was, yet my friends in the other state were happy. It was then that I realized they were happy, because they kept living their lives. We missed each other, but that did not stop them from enjoying life. I realized that I could enjoy my life where I was. I continued to write letters, but I had happy things to talk about instead of what a lousy place I was in. We could continue to see each other at Christmas and Spring Breaks. When they came to visit, I had exciting things for them to do, because I had started doing them. It all came down to the choices we made. Both were hard work. I had to work to find all the things I did not like. I had to work hard to go out and try something different with different people. It all came down to a choice.
Many years later, I had to make the same choices when I left this new state for another state. However, this time I was able to use my past experience to make this new adventure a better one. I have done it several times now in my short life time. It is what we do. Each time I move into a new ward, receive a new calling, or change positions, I don't at what is in it for me, but what I have to offer those new people I will be working with.
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