Early last year, the bishop called me in to extend a new calling. As I waiting for the meeting, the thought that kept running through my mind was, “Anything but activity days…anything but activity days.” So, it really was no surprise when that was the invitation. I had a hard time accepting the call. Those first few activities were brutal and I seriously contemplated getting released. But after a while, I couldn’t help but learn to really love those boys! I became so attached that I was genuinely sad when my calling changed. (I also had the best partner and didn’t want to leave her!)
I must be in grandma-prep mode or something because I really love these kids! I believe primary is the best place to be! Maybe it’s also that this phase of life has so much stirring in my brain, spending an hour with the kids singing songs is just what I need!
Being in primary reminds me how important it is to pay attention to what our children have to offer us. I think I learn way more from them when I take the time to listen than they could learn from me when I’m doing all the talking!
Several years ago, when all my kids were young and at home, I shared a little object lesson with them at dinnertime. It was a lesson I had used in Gospel Doctrine earlier that day.
In class, I had taken a balloon and invited a volunteer to come to the front. I asked the class to tell me all the things that bring sorrow, sadness, pain or anguish into their lives. I then asked my volunteer to add more air to the balloon whenever he heard a response.
The balloon kept getting bigger and bigger. I was expecting it to pop....but it didn't! So, I improvized. I told him to hold it.
Earlier I had drawn a dot on the chalkboard. I asked the class, "What would you say if I told you that if you just looked at this dot, you would be free from all that pressure" (release balloon & watch it fly around)?"
The adults responded as I expected:
"Yeah, right!"
"I'm looking at it, I don't feel any better."
"You don't know what pain I'm really carrying around."
And we continued our discussion.
That night, when I did the same demonstration with the kids, I was completely shocked by their answers.
"Okay!"
"I'll do it!"
"Why wouldn't you? I mean, it's worth a try!"
Tears stung my eyes.
Why wouldn't you?
As adults it’s so easy to get caught up in the mundane, the seemingly necessary tasks that pile up before we even notice. But these children, they know! It’s ironic how we teach our children to have faith in Jesus and to stay connected to Him and to remember Him always. And yet, maybe they do a better job of that than we do ourselves!
We can learn so much from our children, if we just pause … and listen.
***
“…and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them… And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones. And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angles descending out of heaven as it were int ehmids of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about…and the angles did minister unto them.” - - 3 Nephi 17:21-24
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