Visting Teaching

This is almost funny. I was called in to meet with a member of the Bishopric. I showed up on time and in the meeting he said, "We called you in today to extend to you a release. From being a visiting teaching supervisor."

Me, "Oh really? I've never been a visiting teaching supervisor."

He, "Oh, well, sometimes I don't take good notes and so I may have this turned around wrong. Maybe I'm supposed to be calling you to this position. Just a sec, let me check." He then opens the door and asks the executive secretary if it's a calling or a releasing. The exec secretary affirms it's a calling. Neither of them said the title of the calling however.

He then says to me, "Okay, we'd like to call you to be a visiting teaching supervisor."

Me, "Okay."

He, "Thank you. We have a busy schedule this week and realize this is important and don't want this to slip through the cracks as it were, so please if we don't soon, then will you please keep after us, but we think we can set you apart next week after the block schedule."

Me, "Okay. I will do that."

I get back home and have just told my husband what the appointment was for when the phone rings. Me, "Hello?"

He, "Sis. I need to check on something, did I call you to be a visiting teaching supervisor or a visiting teaching district leader?"

Me, "A visiting teaching supervisor."

He, "Oh, I apologize. I guess you know the structure of the Relief Society much better than I do. Actually we'd like to call you as a visiting teaching district leader. Are you okay with that? And do you accept that call?"

Me, "Yes. that will be fine. Uh, what does a visiting teaching district leader do anyway?"

He, "You would report to the visiting teaching supervisor. So we will have you sustained today in meeting today."

Okay, depending on your perspective, that was the funny part.

Here's the sacred part. Right after I was set apart the RS Pres gave me my district list of sisters. Turns out her name is on there! So I asked if she had gotten hers done this month. Nope-not yet, but it was scheduled for Wednesday and she suggested I could call these sisters on Wednesday or Thursday just to let them know who they should be calling with their report each month.

As I began calling the sisters, for those I could speak with I thanked them for their valiant service and for their willingness to accept the call. For those I could only leave a message besides my name, number and purpose for calling I also thanked them for their willingness to serve.

As I called through my list and said this repeatedly I realized several items:

• they are valiant
• they are acting in behalf of Christ
• they are charitable
• their hearts are in the right place
• it is charitable for them to answer my call
• it is kind when they called back

Of course I didn't reach everyone the first time through. It took three days. And three of my sisters actually called me back with their reports.

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love the Lord with all my heart-imperfect though it is.