Not only was she an awesome planner she was an awesome delegater. {I think I just made that word up btw.} Each of us had a job that we were supposed to do. My job was to make phone calls. I called everyone in the ward every time we were having a party. 1 set of calls to inform everyone of the activity and to make a food assignment, another set of calls to remind them to show up and bring their food assignment.
I loved and hated making those phone calls. I knew everyone in the ward, including inactives. I could tell you what some people were going to bring before I put them on the list and I also felt like one of the big kids because I was being trusted to make these phone calls. Even at 12 years old, I was not one of the big kids. I hated the old rotary phone I had to use, I was embarrassed when I couldn't remember who I was calling after they answered, especially if I couldn't figure it out by the time they said they were or weren't coming. Then there were the people who yelled at me because they didn't want to be contacted by the church. They were not always kind.
The whole time I had this 'job' I was learning life skills. Here are just a few things I learned.
- It's not a good idea to call the really old people in the ward after 8 pm.
- I won't call anyone after 9 pm. {Except Kate, and I still hold by the 9 pm rule -PST, not EST}
- I'm too busy being a mother of 1 child to bring a jello salad is a lame excuse to be a mooch.
- I can make a phone call to a perfect stranger or someone in the ward I know really well and get my point across with out a lot of extra words. and it's not scary for me.
The reason I bring this less than nostalgic memory up is because I had an experience last Thursday that brought it right to the surface.
My calling in our ward is the Ward Organist. My only responsibility is to show up at 10:30 on Sunday morning and make sure the prelude, hymns and postlude are played until 12:15.
I really loves this calling and most times I don't know if I could handle a second one that I was committed to filling. But our Relief Society has an open door on their planning meetings and I love to help with the planning and execution of our RS meetings. Last night we were talking about an activity coming up on the 22nd that we are inviting the men to also. I am in charge of refreshments. The only problem is I don't know how many people area coming so I don't know how much to plan for and we want the food to go along with the lesson theme of the evening. I suggested we send a sign up sheet through all the auxiliaries on Sunday ask them to sign up if they are coming. The question that followed was, 'is there going to be enough time to get people to sign up to bring refreshments?' Immediately, without even thinking, I told the committee, 'If you have a sign up sheet with everyone planning to attend, I will personally call each and every one of them to remind them of the activity and give them a food assignment.'
Where did that come from?!
My mom. She taught me well.
A girl at the table asked me what my calling was and I told her the ward organist. She told me I didn't really need to do that then and asked me why I was. My response - which I also learned from my mom - I made a promise a few years ago in the temple that I would give of my time and talents, and I have time to do this.'
Thanks mom!
ps, if you are in my ward, be expecting a call from me in the very near future. If you don't sign up, I may just give you a call anyway. COME SUPPORT OUR RELIEF SOCIETY! porfavor.
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