I was recently called to serve as a counselor in the Young Women's presidency for our ward.
That's a lot of church lingo, I know.
Basically, I am one of the leaders over the teenage girls ages 12 to 18. I assist the Young Women's president in teaching, helping, and interacting with the girls in our congregation's youth group. It's a wonderful opportunity to get to know some amazing young ladies. To help them navigate the crazy world at this time in their lives when things can be really tough. It's an opportunity to serve them and love them and help them know they are daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves them eternally and perfectly. To help them prepare for their futures -- wherever those futures may take them.
The calling is a huge responsibility. But it is also a beautiful opportunity. And I'm grateful for the trust my Father in Heaven places in me to help Him in this capacity.
Following receiving this calling a couple weeks ago, I couldn't help but reflect on my own years in Young Women. And as often happens when those thoughts enter my mind, I remember three Young Women leaders who changed my life for the better -- just because they took the time to know and love me.
The truth is, for the last (almost) twenty years, I've often felt that those women were called to serve then and there for me.
Perhaps that sounds selfish. I know the world doesn't revolve around me -- and it never has. But those women impacted my life for the better in ways I can't fully articulate. I have wonderful parents. But as a teenager, I was going through that "my parents don't know anything" stage. I didn't want to tell my parents lots of things back then.
But I told these women.
They were my friends. They treated me as a friend. Some of my very best memories include these ladies. And I can honestly say I will never forget them. And here are just a couple examples of why:
For my 16th birthday, two of these three ladies (their names are Jackie and Ladonna) picked me up and took me out to eat. And then took me to get my nails done. Fact: at various times in my life I've been a nail-biter. It's a habit that comes and goes for me. But for most of my growing-up life, my nails were always well bitten. They took me and got fake nails put on for my 16th birthday. I don't know if they even remember that day. But I'll never forget it.
Ladonna introduced me to horseback riding. I would go with her to help watch her baby while she rode and then I'd get to ride. And I loved it. I didn't keep up with after we left Panama. But what a wonderful experience it was for that time when I did ride.
And I'll never forget one piece of dating advice she gave me as we were chatting on the phone one day: Just because you're on a diet, doesn't mean you can't look at the menu. Interpret that as you wish, but I have never forgotten it. And I think it's hilarious. And spot on. :)
And another of my favorite memories was toward the end of my sophomore year in high school. I was working on a big project for all the youth that year, since many of them were moving away that summer. As part of the project, I was collecting pictures of the youth from their parents. Jackie picked me up one evening to go collect a few of them. She was a military wife and, at that time, the MPs were checking I.D.s on the way out of Ft. Clayton as well as on the way in. So she'd shown her ID on the way out to pick me up and told me that this soldier was way cute, so we were going to go back through so I could see him. Well, he wasn't checking IDs on the way in, so she decided we'd come back through on the way to bring me home -- so he'd check our IDs on the way out. She also dared me to ask his name and, when he asked why I wanted to know, to say, "Because you look like an angel." Hahahahaha. Yeah right, like I would have the guts to do that! But it was still funny. So, as promised, we drove back through on the way to take me home. And got stopped to show ID. Jackie was all sorts of slow about grabbing for her ID -- to give me the opportunity to get a good look and ask that question. Which I totally didn't. So she finally said, "What's your name?" His response: Gabriel. No joke! She looked at me with this incredulous look on her face and we both busted up laughing. I mean, could a name BE any more angelic!?! He said, "Do I know you?" She said, "Nope." And we drove off. One of the best stories in the history of ever. I'm smiling and laughing as I type it.
Two of these women (Ladonna and Diana) have made the effort to see me in more recent years. Whether discovering that we only lived an hour or so apart while I lived in Tuscaloosa and we found each other on facebook... Or being in the same state due to summer vacation excursions... What a wonderful feeling to still be thought of and important enough that they made time for me.
The point is... These women genuinely loved me. They cared about me. And I felt it. And, from the perspective of a teenage girl who really didn't know much (even though she thought she did...), they seemed very unified as a presidency. Which I think is important when trying to work together to serve and help and lift.
Recently, another girl (well, she's a grown woman now, like I am) from our youth group said that she couldn't have asked for better role models than these women were. And I totally second that. They have given me the example of the kind of leader I want to be. Because I know how much it can impact one person's life for good. (And, in their case, more than one).
I'll forever be grateful for their example. For their love. For the time they were called to serve and help a 15/16 year old girl in Panama. And though I am 100% positive I wasn't the only reason... I have no doubt that I was one of the reasons they were brought there for such a time as that. I will never forget them.
What are you grateful for today?
No comments:
Post a Comment