Today was interesting. We had fast and testimony meeting and before we arrived at the building we had a very thorough lecture and recitation of why we need to be reverent duirng the meeting. Mostly we do this for the sake of our three year old girl who struggles at times.
Sure enough, before the deacons had returned to their seats, the three year old began squirming and writhing and whimpering. It worsened in spite of my whispered pleas to be quiet. Her and I left the chapel, much to my dismay.
I was mad and dissapointed and even heard myself whisper, "Why do I even come? I'm not getting anything out of the meeting." Then it occured to me I was at church even though I was not at the meeting. I was in dedicated building where the Spirit can be felt. So the three year old and I took a tour through the halls, looking at the murals of the Savior and talking to her about them. We looked down in the empty font and talked of baptism. Not as bad as I thought.
Even better, I was asked to substitiute for a primary teacher, but no lesson was given. The children were practicing for the Primary program so all I had to do was sit with them and keep an eye on them, encouraging reverence. I was suprised at how nice it was not to sit in a classroom and hear things that doctrinally are not accurate or to hear people repeat things as doctrine that were not. I sometimes a feel a need to refute or clarify things but I usually keep my mouth shut. No one likes a know it all and I've only been in this ward 2 months.
I was asked to sit with the senior primary recently too, but like you, no lesson needed. And I've been there with the young disruptive kids. You get something out of it even if you don't get to listen to the talks.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
I have been relegated to the Primary as a teacher of the 6-7 year olds. The weather is usually nice enuf in this part of Arizona (Mesa) that I usually take the kids for a walk around the outside of the building for a class break. I need itmore than they do.
I just suggested to our bishop that he call a primary bouncer to save me the trouble of running around trying to find parents of kids that need a trip to the woodshed.
