Heavenly Preparations

Normally, I  try not to get to religious or preachy on the internet. I believe that social media, especially public media like Facebook and Twitter, aren't the best forums for religious discussion. However, there are times when a blessing from Heavenly Father smacks me so hard in the face, I can't help but share it.

I was talking to Jake about the changes we're starting with the magazine, the careers goals I have, new responsbilities I've been taking on at work- all that jazz when he just said very simply- "So it's the same as  your Relief Society calling?"

That really stopped me in my tracks. The only calling I ever considered declining was for Relief Society Activity Committee- (in layman's terms, the party planning committee for the women's organization.) I was newly married- only 20 and really REALLY didn't want to go to Relief Society. I had even signed up as a Primary (Children's Sunday school) substitute so I wouldn't have to go to the "Old Lady Class". Though I was good, accepted the calling and truly it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I had that calling up until we moved to Big City, nearly 4 years.

That calling is fairly simple- a committee plans, prepares and executes monthly meetings and activities for the women in the church. This taught me how to plan large meals, how to decorate on a tight budget, how to spark interest in activities, promote events, design invitations and flyers, speak in public, and how to work as a committee to pull it all together.

Add in a little creative writing, more online networking and change the focus to families and you have my job. I help out at local events to promote the magazine, I plan meetings, issues, and contests. I have to talk to strangers all the time and convince them to pick up an issue. I was not born with any of those talents- they were all taught to me through my service to  the church.

So while thinking about this and wanting to share the "DUH" moment about how Heavenly Father prepared me for this job, I re-read my patriarchal blessing. My blessing, at the time, felt generic. I was a little let down in the moment. Reading it a year+ later, it's not generic- it is full of promises, blessings and direction for my future. (at the time I wanted more about Angelina and how that experience was supposed to influecne me etc, that's worth it's own post.) My blessing has entire paragraphs about my work in the community- about my being an example to others in my neighborhood- That I would be active and involved with a lot of people. Of course at the time I had lived in the area maybe three months and my social anxiety and fears were hard at work keeping me from making friends, I thought that part was just words, just filler.

There are so many more things that have proved to me that this job is what I'm meant to do- from BossMan putting off and putting off the idea to create the magazine, to the fact that I didn't want to apply in the first place because his Craigslist ad was so sketchy and scammy sounding. I was so so lucky to just fall into my "I didn't know this was my dream!" job.

So there's my preachy-lovey dovey happy mormon post for today. Stick with whatever you're doing now because it's very possible that it's training for you for something down the road!
also go grab a copy of the latest issue if you can, we're running low but a few krogers may have some!