Changes are part of life- some harder than others!

Last Sunday brought about more changes and challenges in the life of Neal and I.  I shall try and explain the happenings of last Sunday.

Neal received a call from a stake president in a singles stake.  He asked Neal to meet with him Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. and bring me along.  Neal was asked if he would accept a calling in a singles ward to serve as 2nd counselor in a Bishopric.  After Neal accepted the stake president turned to me and said, “Now we need to talk about you.  I have talked with your stake president and have been told that you have a very important calling in your stake as the Stake Relief Society President.  I told your stake president, President Parry, that he should release you from that calling as soon as possible.  I didn’t hear anything else he said to me because my mind was screaming “No, you can’t do that.  You can’t ask me to give up this calling.  I love this calling, etc.”  We left the office and headed home.  The moment I walked in the door, I put in a call to the stake clerk, Brother Hand, and told him that I had to get in to see President Parry today and could he fit me in somewhere – please.  He told me that there was 10 minutes at 3:00 p.m.  I told him I would be there. 

In the mean time, our day was filled with singing in a quartet in Sacrament Meeting, going to Neal’s new ward to be sustained and after to be set apart leaving us just enough time to get to the stake center.  President Parry stepped out of his office, looked at me, held out his hand and smiled and I blurted out with, “I’ve come to tell you how to run the church!”  He laughed and said, “Come in and let’s hear what you have to say.”  As we sat down I proceeded to tell him that he just couldn’t release me from my calling, not now.  That I love my calling and I loved the sisters of the stake and that I knew I could balance my calling with supporting Neal’s calling.  President Parry is such a kind and gentle man and as we talked he said, “Ever since I talked to the Stake President from the singles stake and he said I should release you, I’ve been thinking about it and I’ve drawn a blank.  I really have.”  I told him that was because it wasn’t the right time, not now.  He assured me that he would not do anything until I had a chance to see how things go and a few months down the road we would talk some more. 

I can’t possibly express how relieved I was at that moment.  I have needed this calling more than the ward presidencies and sisters of our stake have needed me.  It has been a wonderful refining experience for me and has strengthened my testimony of the gospel and my Savior, Jesus Christ.  It is for selfish reasons that I want to carry on.  I want to continue to grow and mature in the gospel.  I know the blessing of Heaven have been poured down on me. 

P.S.  I’m speaking today at a Ward RS Visiting Teaching Conference.  This are one of the many times of growth for me.