visiting teaching

This post makes me a little sad.  I was released yesterday from being the visiting teaching coordinator in our ward.  It was a calling that pushed me and inspired me.  I am so grateful for the opportunity i had to learn about each woman in the ward and to see how the Lord inspired us to give her certain companions or visiting teachers.  What a blessing that calling was.  I was released because there were some boundary changes made and we are no longer part of the Blue Diamond Ward.  We have been moved back into the Coronado ward.  I am glad to be back with many friends in a ward that we lived in and loved for over 5 years, but it is hard to leave those from Blue Diamond. 

i have never had a difficult time with the ward changes we have had (5 in the past 7 years of living in the same house!) but this time it is different.  The more i have thought about it and pondered why this time is so challenging, i realized that this ward has seen me through the hardest year of my life.  Emotionally, i have struggled more than ever and it was the women of this ward that helped me survive- many, if not most, did not know what was going on with me, but it was their smiles and kind words each Sunday that gave me the strength to make it through just one more week.  I love those women and will hold them in my heart forever.

i just found this talk i gave last month at our visiting teaching conference as i was cleaning out my visiting teaching stuff and figured i would share it here.  i was in charge of speaking about visiting teaching.  we talked first about the good, the bad and the unnecessary of visiting teaching and then i shared the follow experience of mine with them:

I have been praying for a while to find some guidance on what to share with you sisters about visiting teaching. I am not a perfect visiting teacher and understand it is hard to do sometimes and life gets busy and sometimes we are just tired and it seems like just one more thing to do. Anyway, as I have been praying and pondering what to say, nothing much was coming. I had some ideas but didn’t feel really inspired to say those things. So, last night, after family prayer I just stayed on my knees saying another prayer for guidance in what to share. I was also praying for the energy to make it through the rest of the night. I needed to go for a run but all I wanted to do was get in bed and go to sleep and I almost did, but I am so grateful that I made myself go running and here is why:

As I was running, I began to think of visiting teaching and all of sudden I realized visiting teaching is just like my running. Here’s how: running is good and for me, necessary to keep my physical, and more importantly, emotional self strong. Visiting teaching is good and necessary to keep me spiritually and emotionally strong. Most days, I am tired, and though I want to go run because I know it is always worth it, it is really hard to go and things often get in the way of my running time- sound familiar with your visiting teaching? I have a messed up knee and I am not suppose to be able to run, but by some miracle, I can- it was slow and awkward at first (ok, and maybe it still is sometimes!) but I have gotten much better, stronger and more sure of myself as I have kept with it. Isn’t it a little awkward the first time to meet your companion or the first several times you meet with your new sisters? I know, but I promise if you stick with it, it gets better. You will develop stronger friendships and bonds that will benefit it you for the rest of your life.
 
Now, with my knee injury, I have to be very careful how and where I run. Instead of looking up to where my end goal is when I run, I have to look down just a few yards ahead of my feet to watch for uneven ground or rocks that would easily trip me up and hurt my knee again. I just have to take it one step at a time. With visiting teaching, we must not look at the end goal- being the perfect visiting teacher, always showing up with the best treat or getting that one less active sister to come back to full activity at church, instead just look a few feet ahead of you- did you try your best this month? Did you pray for your sisters? Did you do a little better than last month? Did you remember to report to your supervisor? Small goals sisters, just strive to be their friends-one step at a time- just put one foot in front of the other and do your best- don’t give up. You can accomplish great things if you just take it one step at a time and before you know it, visiting teaching will become something you can do with ease and with great reward for both you and the sisters you visit.
 
After each run, I am invigorated and filled with a peace that I did something good for myself. I am emotionally more stable and I can look at life with a happier perspective. Visiting my sisters and ministering to them throughout the month, does the same thing for me. I feel uplifted and spiritually invigorated. Sisters, visiting teaching doesn’t require a lot of stuff or equipment or preparation to do well, just like running, all you really need is a good pair of shoes and a supportive sports bra. In visiting teaching, you just need your feet shod with the gospel of peace and a the good support of your companion. Just as I have overcome obstacles to be able to return to running, you sisters, can overcome the obstacles and challenges in your life to minister to the sisters of the Blue Diamond Ward. We are in this together and together we can strengthen one another, increase our faith, and provide relief in times of need. 

Oh! I will miss the dear sisters of the Blue Diamond Ward.  Thank you for your examples and love and faith and goodness!!! you have truly touched my life.