Church Callings

I wouldn't normally post about church callings but I think this experience merits a post because it has been out of the ordinary...well for me at least.

Kris and I have been wondering what had been taking the Bishopric so long to extend a calling to both Kris and I. Usually we are in a ward just a couple of weeks, if that, before we are "hauled" into the office and asked if we would accept such and such job in the church. Because of our constant moving around this past 6 months we have just been floating around. I don't know about you but if I don't have a calling in church I don't quite feel like I'm part of the ward yet.

This past Saturday night, Brother Galke called (he's one of the Bishop's Counselors, 1st or 2nd, I have no idea) and asked if Kris and I could meet him before church. I hung up and excitedly told Kris "yea! We are going to get callings!" Kris said something like "I hope they put me in Cub Scouts" and my response was "and put me in the Nursery, that would be perfect!"

Now, before I go on, (I know my sisters are picking themselves up off the floor because I put the words "Nursery" and "Perfect" in the same sentence, not something that they have ever heard come out of my mouth) I have to digress. As many in our previous ward will tell you, I avoided Primary like the plague. I had my response down perfectly
Member of the Bishopric: "Sister Line, would you accept a calling as yada yada yada in the Primary?"
Me: "Hmmm, you didn't pray very hard about this one did you?...You may want to go back and think about it a little more and get back to me."

Which brings me to this past summer and my visit with my parents and their ward. I was gradually easing Jamison into Nursery (18 months old sometimes doesn't come fast enough) and over a few Sundays I experienced several instances where I felt like I could be very happy working in the Nursery. For me this was very strange because as a general rule, I don't like kids. Love my kids, my nieces and nephews and a few friend's kids but kids in general? Nope, don't care for them much and they don't tend to like me much either...not much of a child magnet. So I'd quickly convinced myself that I was just under a lot of stress and wasn't thinking clearly, Nursery wasn't the place for me. I admit that before I had kids I used to think Nursery was nothing but a babysitting service so parents could enjoy church meetings. This is not true at all. I have seen gifted Nursery leaders captivate 18 month olds along with 3 year olds with lessons, songs and activities. Play time is just a small part of a well run Nursery program.

So then we get to Mexico City and go to church and our first Sunday there I bring Jamison into Nursery and there is a little girl, M.O., cutest thing EVER (I'd post a picture of her but her mom would probably kill me), and while I'm sitting on the floor with Jamison on one knee she just comes right over to me sits on my other knee and leans into me in the sweetest cuddle like she has known me forever. My first thought was "OK, who are you? Yea you are cute but you obviously didn't get the memo that I'm not into kids". This was quickly taken over by an incredible feeling that this was the best place for me to be right now and I really needed to have Jamison and her sitting on my lap at that moment, such a neat feeling to know that this little girl was happy to be near me. She sat with Jamison and I for a lot longer than I was expecting and I actually enjoyed it. I guess you can say that my heart melted a bit and I felt again like Nursery would be a great place to be.

After church our first Sunday there, Kris and I talked about how much we had enjoyed our first Sunday. Kris mentioned that he hoped there were kids who were Cub Scout age so that Weston could continue Cub Scouts with a pack. He mentioned he would really enjoy working with the Scouts (and he's always volunteered in our previous wards to work as an instructor for certain badges) and he would enjoy that calling because he'd be able to work with Weston and Braedon and really be involved in the program for a change.

So by now, you already know what happened when we went in Sunday morning to meet with Brother Galke. I don't think he was expecting Kris and I to give each other a high five after he extended the callings...probably wasn't the right place for that but I think he was pleasantly surprised and relieved that neither of us looked ticked off.

What was interesting in this ward is that the Primary teachers were called as spouse couples. I love seeing men in the Primary (mostly because I think they should be there while the wives get a break -ha ha). Weston and Braedon both have husband and wife team teachers and so Kris and I were both called to Nursery, me being the Nursery leader and we were both called to Cub Scouts with Kris being the Cub Scout leader. I'm excited to be working in Cub Scouts with Kris (I've been a den mother once before and absolutely loved it, right up my alley). Kris is looking forward to working with me in Nursery but I told him that once a month I would find someone to be in there with me so that he could go to Priesthood...I think that is a necessity.

So, come to find out (although I had a hunch because she was just called as the Primary President) that M.O.'s mom was the one who gave our names to the Bishop so I'm thinking M.O. was involved in a little conspiracy to soften me up.

So, like I said, I wouldn't normally post about a calling but this was so out of the ordinary for me and the fact that I'm excited and looking forward to it means that either the stress of the past 10 months has completely fried my brain or this is a very good calling for me at this point in my life and the opportunity to serve these little guys is what I need right now when it comes to my own spiritual growth. There is nothing better than teaching the basic of basics to shore up your own faith's foundation.