Closing a Chapter

Yesterday at church I was released of my calling in the Young Women's organization. Another bittersweet moment. I have been volunteering in YW for almost 3 years now. I have served as beehive advisor (12 & 13 year old girls), 2nd counselor, and 1st counselor over the past few year. I have also spent many hours organizing fundraisers in behalf of the girls, collecting girls camp and youth conference forms, attended stake activities as a chaperone, planned many wednesday night activities, taught several sunday lessons on living high standards, our divine role as women, being an example to those around us, dating and temple marriage, modesty in dress, thought and action and developing a relationship with our Father in Heaven. I have spent many hours on my knees praying individually for all the girls I have worked with who have faced challenges and hardships. I have hosted a handful of sleepovers with hyper, giddy teenage girls anxious to talk about boys. And I have shed many, many tears of joy as I have watched girls overcome adversity; become strengthened in their testimony that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are real and They love them; as the girls begin to stand taller and stronger for what they believe in and their countanance begins to wax strong in the light of Christ. It has been such a blessing to work so closely with some of these amazing, strong, virtuous, beautiful daughters of our Heavenly Father. I have seen young lives COMPLETELY changed through the gospel of Jesus Christ, there is no greater blessing than to be a small part of that.

It truly has been a wonderful three years and I have learned selfless service better than I ever had before. I have 30+ little sisters now and I love it. But with all that being said, I am exhausted and worn down and am happy to pass the torch to the new Presidency and their advisors. When they called the new YW leaders yesterday I was so happy and excited for the girls. The women who are stepping in now are truly all SO amazing and talented and will do remarkable things for these special daughters of God. I am a little sad to be closing this chapter of my life and could barley get my goodbyes to the girls out through all of my tears yesterday. I hope that I have left at least a little bit of an imprint on them, as they have on me.

But for now I am FREE! I was not given a new calling in church on Sunday, but I can't imagine it will be that way for long. YW has always been the calling I have wanted so I think it will be hard for me to love anything quite as much but I am excited to serve elsewhere in the church. I am also excited to have my Wednesday nights free again. It has been a long time since I didn't have something planned for Wednesday night. Well I guess they are kind of free, I have my grad classes now scheduled for Wed night, but they are over by 8:10 and not 9:30-10:00pm so that is still a welcome change. They also announced some upcoming stake youth activities in church on Sunday and my first thought was "I don't have to go!" There will for sure be some perks for me as my schedule is a little more flexible now. I am also excited to go to Relief Society third hour, I haven't spent much time there in a long time.

As we all know as one chapter of church service closes another chapter is close to beginning...