This lovely quote doesn't really have much to do with my post, other than I feel like I've focused on a lot of unnecessary stuff over the last year or two or three, and a recent change at church has helped me start to fill my life instead with what I really need.
About a month ago I got a new calling, aka job at church: Primary president in my ward. Woohoo! Fun times (the Primary is my church's children's organization...so I'm in charge of all the kids in the ward, which is about 100 kids). I was completely taken by surprise because I thought I had a few more years in Young Women (the organization for girls age 12-18 which is where I have been working for the past 2 years).
Anywho, I'm now "officially" 2 weeks into it and I just wanted to say that I am really grateful for this opportunity. I'm actually not stressed or worried about it at all. (Although I am still getting used to the amount of meetings, and still need to figure out how to balance that with home life so that every Sunday night isn't like last night, after a long day of meetings and dehydration. #hangry) The first person I turned to was my sister Phoebe, who is also a Primary president in her ward and who is a fountain of ideas and enthusiasm. I keep texting her with questions, "What do you do about this...?" "What are your thoughts on this...?" I don't even need Pinterest because I have Phoebe, and her love for her Primary kids is palpable. The second person I turned to was the former ward Primary president, who is a dear friend and gave me all the assurances and advice and information I could have asked for. The third person I turned to was our stake Primary president, who is also a friend and very experienced with Primary. She told me that my most important job is to minister to the children in the ward, to learn about them and get to know them and their families and their circumstances and help them where I can, and to delegate as much as I can of the administrative stuff to others so that I can focus on that.
Focusing on the kids one by one so that I have a better picture of what the organization needs as a whole, and how the Primary in turn can be a force for good in the ward rather than (just) a bunch of noisy kids in need of babysitting, is something I can totally do and something that I am so psyched about. I'm not super organized or crafty or energetic and for some reason I can't keep inappropriate comments to myself in meetings (why is this?? I blame Matt's influence. Love you Matt). But despite all that, I have a vision for what can happen in our ward and our Primary, and I am so glad to have felt the love and peace, that can only come from God, and that sometimes can only come through children, that I just really, really needed in my life right now.
8 comments:
oh you will be so awesome! I have to have Jeff give me a pep talk before any meetings -- the goal of which is to help me keep my mouth shut! you always know exactly how I feel about something though! haha! yay for Primary!
Sounds like you are on the right track. Over the years of being a president in YW and Relief Society, I have not always taken the "good" approach - have been more focused on details that really aren't that important. As a Stake R.S. President, I finally got it right and felt really good about the years I served. I have never really worked in Primary, but know that it's a great place to be - and I'm so glad you are there. (I have worked in Primary - I've done Cub Scout eternally and the Nursery too - but somehow that doesn't really feel like working in Primary!)
I was the Primary president for two years and I loved it! You will adore it for sure.
I got called to the Primary Presidency earlier this Summer too. I still don't even know the names of hap lf the kids, but I'm working on it and have had the same thoughts as you about my approach. It's so easy to get caught up in the details, especially in Primary where it seems like every week you're trying to get substitutes for the teachers who didn't show up. :-)
Oh Primary, how I love thee! Truly the happiest place in the church. You will be great and learn so much from serving there. It has been an incredible blessing for our entire family and will be for yours, too.
I am inspired just reading this post. Those kids and their parents are very lucky to have you!
I need more Phoebe in my life! I have too much pinterest. I can't believe you have 100 kids in your primary. THAT IS CRAZY! I think we have about 50 in ours right now and in shanghai we had only 10! You have a big job, young lady.
i loved being in primary - loved it. but now i am loving being in YW - which i have a feeling i might never leave.....
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