...Before they finally call you into Primary.
I (Jenni), have to say that I have successfully dodged a calling in Primary since I was 18. Okay, so I did serve as the substitute Primary pianist for one summer when I was home from college, but that was it.
I could be all fake and cutesy and say that it's all I ever wanted was to serve in Primary and blah blah blah....but that would be an absolute lie.
To be perfectly honest, I have always dreaded a calling in Primary. And amazingly enough I've always been really good at camoflauging myself from the Primary presidency's eye when they would scout around the ward for the next victim to replace the last teacher that ran away crying.
Ok so that is a bit harsh I know, and it probably really wasn't like that, but that is sort of how I perceived it.
But as you may or may not know, Will and I just moved into a brand new ward - which, I might add, happens to be a smaller ward than our last one and very eager to make us feel welcome by giving us new callings.
So a little background here - for some reason, in our last ward Will was able to fly by the entire year without a calling except for hometeacher. I was in Young Womens - which I really enjoyed and spent every Tuesday evening occupying my time with, as well as the occassional Sunday morning meeting. So when we moved into our new ward, I was curiously interested to see what calling WILL would be getting! Ha!
Three Sundays ago, Will and I were sitting in Sunday School when one of the Bishopric members comes in and taps Will on the shoulder and says "Can you meet by the Bishop's office after church?" I nudged him, gave him a raised eyebrow and a smile.
After church, I went to go find Will and when I did, just thought to ask "Hey do you think it would be okay for me to go with you?" and he said "Of course". So both of us went into the Bishopric member's office and I sat there, completely relaxed yet curious, as to what calling they were going to extend to my husband.
"On behalf of the bishopric, we would like to extend a calling to your wife, to serve in the Primary as a teacher." said Br. So-and-so.
I about fell off my chair. In fact I was speechless. I pointed to myself as if I needed confirmation that he actually meant me and not Will. I was sure that he did not mean me. Why did I not get tapped on the shoulder, and just Will? I was thoroughly confused. And the words in my head were coming across like in the movies when the actor is slowed down and their voice is really low in superslow motion saying "Nnnnnooooo....not....Primary!!!"
Will just looked at me like "Are you going to accept or not?". Thanks to my parents who successfully raised me to never say no to a church calling, I replied reluctantly, "Ok...but I have no clue what to do. I've never served in Primary."
With a short little pep talk about how I would be great and will be briefed by the Primary President, I was thanked, my hand was shaken and we were out the door.
I was still speechless. Will was almost about to laugh. I just gave him a dirty look and said "But...but...." and he just giggled.
So last Sunday was my debut as a Primary teacher to the 5 and 6 year olds. I have 9 of them in my class. I have taught piano to 8 year olds, but there is actually a pretty big difference in attention span between a 5 year old and an 8 year old, so I discovered.
I have to say....I actually had fun. (Shhhh don't tell anyone!)
I think I needed this calling - to remind me of the simple things in the Gospel, to reaffirm my own testimony and to learn things from a child's perspective once again. Those 2 hours in Primary flew by so fast, and my little kids were pretty good (except for one of them hitting the other with her dirty socks). I'm actually looking forward to next Sunday's lesson.
So I might not get to really know any of the Relief Society sisters in my new ward or socialize with grownups, but who cares. Sometimes it's just really nice to be around little people who love you, don't judge you, listen to you and trust you and just want to be around you. And besides, I can remember back to my own Primary teachers when I was a little girl and how much they meant to me. I hope that I can be that for these kids as well.
I (Jenni), have to say that I have successfully dodged a calling in Primary since I was 18. Okay, so I did serve as the substitute Primary pianist for one summer when I was home from college, but that was it.
I could be all fake and cutesy and say that it's all I ever wanted was to serve in Primary and blah blah blah....but that would be an absolute lie.
To be perfectly honest, I have always dreaded a calling in Primary. And amazingly enough I've always been really good at camoflauging myself from the Primary presidency's eye when they would scout around the ward for the next victim to replace the last teacher that ran away crying.
Ok so that is a bit harsh I know, and it probably really wasn't like that, but that is sort of how I perceived it.
But as you may or may not know, Will and I just moved into a brand new ward - which, I might add, happens to be a smaller ward than our last one and very eager to make us feel welcome by giving us new callings.
So a little background here - for some reason, in our last ward Will was able to fly by the entire year without a calling except for hometeacher. I was in Young Womens - which I really enjoyed and spent every Tuesday evening occupying my time with, as well as the occassional Sunday morning meeting. So when we moved into our new ward, I was curiously interested to see what calling WILL would be getting! Ha!
Three Sundays ago, Will and I were sitting in Sunday School when one of the Bishopric members comes in and taps Will on the shoulder and says "Can you meet by the Bishop's office after church?" I nudged him, gave him a raised eyebrow and a smile.
After church, I went to go find Will and when I did, just thought to ask "Hey do you think it would be okay for me to go with you?" and he said "Of course". So both of us went into the Bishopric member's office and I sat there, completely relaxed yet curious, as to what calling they were going to extend to my husband.
"On behalf of the bishopric, we would like to extend a calling to your wife, to serve in the Primary as a teacher." said Br. So-and-so.
I about fell off my chair. In fact I was speechless. I pointed to myself as if I needed confirmation that he actually meant me and not Will. I was sure that he did not mean me. Why did I not get tapped on the shoulder, and just Will? I was thoroughly confused. And the words in my head were coming across like in the movies when the actor is slowed down and their voice is really low in superslow motion saying "Nnnnnooooo....not....Primary!!!"
Will just looked at me like "Are you going to accept or not?". Thanks to my parents who successfully raised me to never say no to a church calling, I replied reluctantly, "Ok...but I have no clue what to do. I've never served in Primary."
With a short little pep talk about how I would be great and will be briefed by the Primary President, I was thanked, my hand was shaken and we were out the door.
I was still speechless. Will was almost about to laugh. I just gave him a dirty look and said "But...but...." and he just giggled.
So last Sunday was my debut as a Primary teacher to the 5 and 6 year olds. I have 9 of them in my class. I have taught piano to 8 year olds, but there is actually a pretty big difference in attention span between a 5 year old and an 8 year old, so I discovered.
I have to say....I actually had fun. (Shhhh don't tell anyone!)
I think I needed this calling - to remind me of the simple things in the Gospel, to reaffirm my own testimony and to learn things from a child's perspective once again. Those 2 hours in Primary flew by so fast, and my little kids were pretty good (except for one of them hitting the other with her dirty socks). I'm actually looking forward to next Sunday's lesson.
So I might not get to really know any of the Relief Society sisters in my new ward or socialize with grownups, but who cares. Sometimes it's just really nice to be around little people who love you, don't judge you, listen to you and trust you and just want to be around you. And besides, I can remember back to my own Primary teachers when I was a little girl and how much they meant to me. I hope that I can be that for these kids as well.
(This was me when I was 5, and my puppy named Yogi. He was a cocker spaniel mix and ended up really big and shaggy and lost all cuteness about 4 months later - LOL.)Now I'm just waiting for Will's calling to come and find him....(big grin). And just cuz he still hasn't gotten one - I'm going to embarrass him and put a picture of him in here as well when he was around 5. (I think he is soooo cute! I hope our kids look just like him).
Jenni
P.S. Will promises to write a blog too real soon, so it's not all just me. :)
3 comments:
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL and LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL so I think that what happened to you is so funny but as you said it is great to be the little poepls wholes world for 2 hours on Sunday. I have not served in the primary in 10 years and I have no calling now. But who knows I might one day.
Like they always say... "It's preparation for when you have children of your own." Socializing with adults, what's that?
It was so fun to look at all your pics! We miss you guys up there! Life looks like it's treating you well. I'm with Dalynn, "socializing with adults" what's that?
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