I will write another day about my AI attempts. It’ll be super interesting (I’m sure you’ll be on pins and needles in anticipation), but today I really wanted to blog about my calling in the Nursery since it is Sunday and I just got home from church.
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we are all given callings, or assignments, to help serve in the church. For almost 3 years I was blessed enough to serve with the young women ages 12-18. I knew I would serve in YWs and have been told this in blessings since I was 15.
YWs became a part of my life. It became who I was. When people would ask if I had children I would say I have 25 daughters or whatever number there was at the time. They were on my mind, in my prayers and I worried about them just as though they were my own.
In July of this year I was released from serving as the YW President. I was sad but excited for my next opportunity to serve until they asked me to serve in the Nursery. I have always been taught to accept any calling you are given but didn’t the bishop know my desires to have kids? Didn’t he realize how unfair this calling would be? In a way if felt like a demotion to a babysitting job and I didn’t feel like it was fair that I had to watch other people’s children.
I was standing in my closet one day and the thought came to me “Isn’t the point of a calling to serve?” Serving in the church is an opportunity for me to learn and to strengthen my faith and love of my Savior and my Father in Heaven. I was being selfish to assume that only people with children should serve in nursery. Some people have a lot of kids; they would rarely get a chance to do anything else or grow in any other area if others didn’t serve them. I decided that I would take this as a new challenge. I didn’t know how to work with this age group but I was going to learn.
Now I love the nursery. Sure there have been a couple times when the kids are “jumping off the walls” and crazy but for the most part I have learned that these 3 year olds are smart. I’m learning to teach them and come home super excited when I give a good lesson on taking care of our bodies or being grateful for food. The best part is I’m learning to love them. I love how the kids are starting to warm up to me and talk, and I love hearing them pray, and I love helping them with a puzzle or read a book, I love the treats. I also love sending them home with their parents and coming home to a quite house, just as I did today. J
With Thanksgiving coming this week I hope the Lord knows how grateful I am that he knows me. I’m grateful that he knows what challenges will help me to grow. I didn’t know I would love the nursery but I do and I’m grateful that He would entrust me with such a sacred calling. I’m grateful that he knows my heartaches and pains and He knows that I am determined.
2 comments:
IUIs are rough emotionally. I totally understand the waiting and misinterpretation of any weird feeling, whether physical or mental. I also understand having all 4 fail. I tried to make myself feel better by thinking, "Well, now I don't have to take nasty clomid anymore. And now I don't have to drive an hour each way twice a month (once for a clomid check, once for the IUI)." Obviously those are small things, but it helped my mental state a little bit :-).
I bet you are an awesome nursery teacher!
Do you keep up with Jen and Joe Jackson from our freshmen ward? They adopted their first and got pregnant with their second through IVF.
I'll stop blabbing now.
i'm sorry about this news des. there are so many things you mention that i can totally relate to. i served in the YW for a few years and then got called to nursery and all the while was hoping to start our own family. i remember struggling so much with the nursery calling. i knew it was important but we were brand new to the ward so didn't really get to know anyone because there was only one other leader and she was kind to us but not a huge fan on the ward. additionally, i found myself frustrated at parents who didn't even bother to say "hello" or "thanks" after watching their child for 2 hours every week. now i know a little better but still, i can understand your frustration. i bet you are awesome in there. you'd be awesome anywhere. my sympathy again about the unfortunate news. i wish there was something i could say to make it better.
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