Released From the Call

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints there are no paid clergy. No one volunteers to be a bishop. No one is paid to work in the nursery. Every ounce of work that needs to be done is done by the members of the ward. People are chosen for the positions they serve in(callings) through a process of prayer, and through the guidance of the Spirit. They are assigned to various positions by the authorities of the Church. When you are extended a calling, you can be sure that much thought and prayer went into that assignment, and, even if it sounds like it could be out of your comfort zone, great blessings will come as you seek to serve in that capacity.



I know these things are true. I have served in many callings in the church, and I have grown and been blessed for my service. This amazing thing happens when you serve in the church. You develop these wonderful relationships. You see other people at their best...selflessly working to make things better for the people around them. Best of all you grow to love the people you are serving. You think about them daily. You go to the Lord in prayer for them. You share their burdens. Throughout all of this you grow as a person. You develop talents you didn't know you had. Your calling becomes part of who you are. You are blessed!


I wrote all of that and then I felt I needed to shelve it for a bit. I was asked to serve as the Primary(Children's Sunday School) Secretary about 4 months ago. I LOVE to be organized, and to help other people be organized. I can get totally OCD about it really. Our Presidency was struggling in the organization department. They hadn't had a secretary in a year at least. I really really felt needed. I was finally starting to feel like I had the place running like a machine. We ended up losing a counselor.....then I got a phone call that I needed to meet with the bishop. The logical part of my brain felt that they must be calling me to be the new counselor. Never in my mind did it occur to me that I was being released.

The bishop called to speak with my husband so that he could warn me that I would be upset. I spent an entire day so completely depressed. I gave poor Steven such a hard time over it. I was a mess. I didn't understand. I was mad. I have never felt such a sense of loss over being released from a calling........then I met with the bishop.

I walked in to his office with a deep desire to vent all of my frustrations to him. I was mad, and I didn't understand. Then he so kindly explained things to me. Things about how I was the right person at the right time for that calling....and how I accomplished things that I didn't even realized I had. By the time I left his office I saw the bigger picture, and I understood why.

As I stood on Sunday to be sustained as the new compassionate service leader along with the newly called Primary presidency things all fell into place. It was blaringly obvious to me that our calling are made through revelation. Things seem so perfect now. There is a smiley face on my heart. :o)