Lessons Learned at Church

1.  Today in church I sat by my Mother-in-law, Carol.  She is in St. Johns for a few days watching my nieces and nephew.  In front of us, sat a child that I affectionately (?) call the Devil's Spawn.  I really, really, really struggle with this girl.  I'm not sure what it says about me, when a four-year old has this much power.  In my defense, she is so tough that our former Sunbeam teacher, with the patience of Job,  who has taught for YEARS, was ready to quit because of this girl.  Last month, she hooted, like a money, for ten minutes before we could get her settled down.  If you try to wrestle her out in the hall, she kicks, bites and spits.  In fact, today when her grandpa was trying to settle her down in Sacrament Meeting, she head butted him...twice!  Truly, I should be booted from Primary for the dread this child instills in me.  So when she flopped down under her grandparents' pew and proceeded to roll around underneath Carol's feet, I really wanted to suggest a well-placed kick.  (See, I should be booted out!)  I wanted her grandparents to get control.  I wanted her away from me for at least one hour of the three hour block.
     BUT, Carol is a true mother and disciple of Christ.  She smiled at the girl, and patted the seat between us.  Slowly, she coaxed her to sit right by us.  She gently encouraged her to whisper quietly and sit still.  As the little girl settled down, so did I.  I pulled out a piece of paper and pencil.  Quietly, the little girl drew pictures.  For twenty minutes, we sat, side by side.  I remembered that the Gospel is taught and developed individually, whether we are four, or thirty-six.  I remembered that we are all children of Heavenly Parents who love us, even when we are biting and kicking, and thinking ornery thoughts about a four-year old.  And wouldn't you know it-  I didn't hear a single monkey hoot during Primary today!

2.  Our music director does a fabulous job of bringing in talented people from the community to share their skills with us.  Today was no exception.  As the woman walked forward with her violin, I was surprised.  I often see her at the store where she works.  She is very kind and helpful, but I never considered her outside of the workplace.  As she raised her bow, the beautiful strains of "Amazing Grace" filled the chapel.  Tears filled my eyes as she continued a medley that included various hymns, finally ending with "How Great Thou Art".  We often talk about the fact that we never know what trials other may be going through.  That thought often helps me to be more patient or forgiving.  But today, I realized we also are often unaware of the talents and strengths that others possess.  Somewhere along the way, this woman learned to play the violin.  Since that time, she has continued to practice and develop her talent, even though St. Johns is not a place with lots of opportunity to showcase that talent.  Sadly, I'm afraid that this experience is not unique.  How often have I looked at people (or kids) and considered how they affect me rather than seeing their strengths and talents?

So to sum it all up.  Life is about people.  It's about the relationships we develop with our family, our friends our co-workers and our acquaintances.  It's about limiting our judgements and increasing our acceptance. 

It's about love.