For those of you unfamiliar with the vocabulary of the LDS church, the Relief Society is a woman's organization within the church. Once 18 years of age, you can start attending Relief Society instead of Young Woman's on Sundays. I waited until I graduated to start attending the classes with all the older women, and was greeted by a larger responsibility in the church than I ever could have imagined myself in the summer before my first year of college. I was called as a Relief Society Instructor.
One of 3 women in this calling, my job is to teach the lesson to the other women once every month. I had started attending Relief Society with the expectation in mind that I could sit back, relax, and learn from women who were much more experienced than I in the ways of the gospel and life. Therefore it was a little bit of a shock in my system to receive my new calling.
Accepting took a leap of faith. I kept telling myself, "If the Lord wants it, he'll help me do it."
The nice part is I only had two lessons to teach before leaving for school.
I have already had the privilege and blessing of preparing and giving one lesson- the topic: our duty as member missionaries.
Basically it was the preparation you would expect from a Relief Society member: quotes printed out and ready to assign people to read, handouts with inspirational messages backed onto pretty paper, and cookies decorated to go along with the lesson. What felt different to me, were the last couple of days leading up to the Sunday I would teach.
To put it in few words, I was bombarded by a cascade of awful and rather traumatic events. Emotionally overwhelmed that Saturday night, I did not feel like getting up in the morning to go to church. I felt tired, sick, and depressed. But I remembered the faith I'd had in excepting my calling, and what I told myself, "If the Lord wants it, he'll help me do it." I knew that if I couldn't have the faith to follow through with my responsibility, then my initial faith in accepting the calling was half-hearted.
So I got up the next morning. I went to church. I was nervous, and I gave my lesson. I still don't know what was so important about my lesson that the adversary desired so badly for me to skip out that Sunday, but I know that there was a reason, if only for my own Spiritual growth. I do know that the Spirit was with me, guiding me in what to say.
I have a true knowledge that the Lord provides a way for us to do the things He desires us to accomplish. I know whatever is good and worthy can be achieved through His help.
When there's a will there's a way. When God has a will, He provides a way.
