"When you attempt to live life's experiences alone, you are not being true to yourself, nor to your basic mission in life. Individuals in difficulty often say: 'I'll do it alone,' 'Leave me alone,' 'I don't need you,' 'I can take care of myself.' It has been said that no one is so rich that he does not need another's help, no one so poor as not to be useful in some way to his fellowman. The disposition to ask assistance from others with confidence, and to grant it with kindness, should be part of our very nature."
"[The] need today [for Christlike love] is as great as or perhapseven greater than when the Savior walked on this earth. As shepherds we must understand that we should nurture each one of our sheep to bring them to Christ, which is the purpose of all we do in this Church.
". . . As we stay in tune with the needs of the people, we can strengthen them and help them overcome their challenges, so they will remain steadfast in the way which will lead them back to our Heavenly Father's presence and help them endure to the end."
I have a few thoughts I feel I need to post. Just bear with me for a moment. I am starting to see how change can be harder the older we get. I guess change is best and most often described as bittersweet. Many changes can be classified this way.
Today our Relief Society presidency was reorganized. We have a wonderful new Relief Society president now, Sister Janet Halliday. For those who don't live in my ward, I can describe her as the ideal person that many of us want to be at her age. She has served as Relief Society President a few times before. Her husband was released from being the Stake President a year or so ago. They are older (kids are mostly grown and moved out), and just the most wonderful examples to me of why I am doing what I am doing. They emanate joy. She has been my visiting teacher for awhile now and I have felt so blessed to have her visit me. I look forward to my VT's coming because they are so understanding, have been through similar challenges I've gone though, and have so much love and compassion for me. They were there during my hard pregnancy and would have done anything to help out. Janet will do an exceptional job. She is close to the Spirit and I am so glad she is in this leadership position.
With that said, our departing RS pres, Alesha Kolb, has been the right person at the right time in the right place for our ward. She has been wonderful. I have felt her love for me and the sisters of the ward even though I never was able to attend RS while she was president. I didn't ever hear her lessons or thoughts. But I had a testimony that she was what we needed at the time. I loved knowing that she had the ability to develop a relationship with individual sisters in our ward. A true testament was to hear sisters choose to call her with a problem to get support and advice. She has had such love for us.
I especially feel a deep appreciation for Alesha though because she was there to serve and arrange service for me with this last pregnancy. I was so resistant to letting anyone help and she was good to lovingly tell me what I needed and already knew but could not bring myself to ask for. Many many hours were spent in my behalf, not just from her and her wonderful counselors, but the ward members. I have been so blessed. I have felt that although I know she touched many other sisters, she was Relief Society President just for ME. She was what I needed at this time. I truly love and appreciate all the sacrifice she and her family gave. I am glad she can spend more time taking care of her family's' needs now. I hope she knows that she truly touched my life.
Years ago I dreaded being called into primary. I wanted to not be with my kids for those two hours. However, I have developed such a love for primary the past 3 years. I am finding that I feel a deep love for the individual children we work with. This is especially true with one of my primary friends. He can be such a challenge on many Sundays. I think many adults feel helpless and overwhelmed with him not knowing how to handle his behavior. I had an experience a couple years back where I was sitting on the floor during a primary activity with him and just felt for a moment this compassionate spirit that he had inside his energetic body. As I have taken the time to get to know him and talk to him and become his friend, I have developed such a love towards him. I got to sit by him in primary today and we had a great Sunday. He is a wonderful kid and I really truly enjoy the time I spend with him. I hope he knows how much this primary leader loves him.
It is funny how comfortable we get with things. I like my calling and my leaders. We have a wonderful ward and when things get changed up a little I think it takes some adjustment. Luckily though, we have the Spirit to guide us and help us learn to love and accept new assignments for us and for others.
Thank heavens we get to have the opportunity to learn new things and experience new challenges every once in a while. I just keep hoping it is a ways off for me. :) I like things the way they are!
Today our Relief Society presidency was reorganized. We have a wonderful new Relief Society president now, Sister Janet Halliday. For those who don't live in my ward, I can describe her as the ideal person that many of us want to be at her age. She has served as Relief Society President a few times before. Her husband was released from being the Stake President a year or so ago. They are older (kids are mostly grown and moved out), and just the most wonderful examples to me of why I am doing what I am doing. They emanate joy. She has been my visiting teacher for awhile now and I have felt so blessed to have her visit me. I look forward to my VT's coming because they are so understanding, have been through similar challenges I've gone though, and have so much love and compassion for me. They were there during my hard pregnancy and would have done anything to help out. Janet will do an exceptional job. She is close to the Spirit and I am so glad she is in this leadership position.
With that said, our departing RS pres, Alesha Kolb, has been the right person at the right time in the right place for our ward. She has been wonderful. I have felt her love for me and the sisters of the ward even though I never was able to attend RS while she was president. I didn't ever hear her lessons or thoughts. But I had a testimony that she was what we needed at the time. I loved knowing that she had the ability to develop a relationship with individual sisters in our ward. A true testament was to hear sisters choose to call her with a problem to get support and advice. She has had such love for us.
I especially feel a deep appreciation for Alesha though because she was there to serve and arrange service for me with this last pregnancy. I was so resistant to letting anyone help and she was good to lovingly tell me what I needed and already knew but could not bring myself to ask for. Many many hours were spent in my behalf, not just from her and her wonderful counselors, but the ward members. I have been so blessed. I have felt that although I know she touched many other sisters, she was Relief Society President just for ME. She was what I needed at this time. I truly love and appreciate all the sacrifice she and her family gave. I am glad she can spend more time taking care of her family's' needs now. I hope she knows that she truly touched my life.
Years ago I dreaded being called into primary. I wanted to not be with my kids for those two hours. However, I have developed such a love for primary the past 3 years. I am finding that I feel a deep love for the individual children we work with. This is especially true with one of my primary friends. He can be such a challenge on many Sundays. I think many adults feel helpless and overwhelmed with him not knowing how to handle his behavior. I had an experience a couple years back where I was sitting on the floor during a primary activity with him and just felt for a moment this compassionate spirit that he had inside his energetic body. As I have taken the time to get to know him and talk to him and become his friend, I have developed such a love towards him. I got to sit by him in primary today and we had a great Sunday. He is a wonderful kid and I really truly enjoy the time I spend with him. I hope he knows how much this primary leader loves him.
It is funny how comfortable we get with things. I like my calling and my leaders. We have a wonderful ward and when things get changed up a little I think it takes some adjustment. Luckily though, we have the Spirit to guide us and help us learn to love and accept new assignments for us and for others.
Thank heavens we get to have the opportunity to learn new things and experience new challenges every once in a while. I just keep hoping it is a ways off for me. :) I like things the way they are!
3 comments:
What a great post! What a blessing the gospel is! I can't imagine how hard life would be without the friends I make in the gospel. I also can't imagine how we would get through the hard times without those same friends and inspired members of our ward. They truly are being instruments in the Lord's hands. I loved reading your testimony! You have always had a strong testimony. Thank you for sharing it!
Diane
Thanks for taking the time to recognize Alesha. This change has been tough on her as she has truly loved the sistes of the ward. It was important to her to lead in a very individual and personal way. She wanted the sisters to know she loved them and the Lord loved them. I believe she has met that goal. She's an amazing lady.
You are an amazing woman!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings because sometimes we need to feel that we, moms, "can do it all" when in reality we need others to call upon.
It reminds me of Matt 11:28-30. Our friends and sisters in gospel can be the ones that help the "heavy laden" and also help to "give us rest." The reason that I say this is becasue sometimes their talents are not ours, and it is "easy" for them to do and it doesn't weight them do to do it because their burden is light.
Thanks for everything you ROCK!!!!!
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