After I got over the shock of this calling and went about finding out what Relief Society WAS and what I was supposed to be DOING with it, I had an interesting conversation with Kathi Hansen. Our ward boundaries had changed and she had been the RS pres. in the ward that was being partly absorbed, so we talked a lot about the sisters that were coming in. (BTW - She got MY calling that I dearly loved: Primary music leader. I still haven't forgiven her for that ;-). ) The thing that has stuck with me is her saying that she had LOVED being RS Pres. Here's this mother of young children who takes on this huge task, and loves it.
I am nowhere near that place, though I'm getting closer. But here's the things: How can you ever know that, if you died today, you would hear, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant,"? I knew that I was a good Primary music leader. I would teach the kids, entertain the kids, bear testimony to the kids, surprise the kids - you name it. How can I know that I am a good RS Pres.? I look at the ward list, and nearly everyone on there I FEEL that I need to talk to right now - either about their problems or about the problems of the people they visit teach or about how can we help you come back to church. About 15 of these conversations are fairly urgent.
So why am I writing this blog, you say? Because there are ALWAYS 15 urgent phone calls that need to be made. There never gets to be any less. Now, obviously, the people on the receiving end don't think so, or the phone calls would get done. These are just things I feel I should say to people, information that I feel I ought to communicate.
I suppose any calling can be open-ended, can be magnified. I could have gone and practiced the program songs with all of the children, in their homes, so that the Primary program would be perfect. But that's not really expected. However, in this calling I feel like I really should be more involved with all three missions of the church. I should "do" my calling more, but there is no one who is giving me assignments in this nebulous business, so it's easy to just drift along.
I don't mean to be whiny, and obviously there are far busier people than me who hold down this calling, and there are far busier wards to have the calling in. We did go out on a "finding mission" last week as a presidency, and I have kept up with my self-assignment to visit all the new sisters who move into the ward. So I need to give myself the advice that I just gave a sister who is struggling: "Sometimes we just have to ride it out, keep plugging along, and time will take care of things. I know that our Father in Heaven is aware of our struggles and mindful of our heartaches. He WILL send the Holy Ghost to comfort us if we ask in faith."