A little embarrassed
So many of you may not know but I was recently called as a Relief Society instructor. I teach the fourth Sunday and so that is the Teachings for our Times message. When I tell people I teach those lessons they say "oh, you got the easy ones" Well, up until this last week. I kind of said.."well, yes" now don't get me wrong the lessons from the manual are (at least this year) gospel principles...pretty cut and dry the lessons we hear over and over and over and over and over again...so in my luck...I get the prophets and apostles and those from the general presidencies and seventies to teach. So although their topics are usually geared toward basic principles of the gospel and our Savior it is a little refreshing to get the "newness of their words in relation to these topics".
Well, I must admit this last lesson threw me for a loop. When I first saw that the lesson was by President Uchtdorf. I thought "YES!!" I love President Uctdorf. He is always so uplifting while adding humor and also has that way of enhancing the spirit to the point that at times it can bring you to tears.
So the lesson was "Waiting on the Road to Damascus" so I read through it and was a bit stumped on how to make this lesson "exciting" not that it wasn't exciting to begin with but I just didn't want to stand and read it. But I didn't know how to take my own "adaptation" to engage the sisters in the lesson. I mean the lesson was good, uplifting and he shared some awesome stories that brought tears to my eyes, it all made sense but I just didnt' know what else to do except take quotes directly from the talk and hand them out to get the sisters to participate. But then I always feel like if I do that alot it will become boring and uninvolved. Okay...rambling now...
so to the embarrased part (kind of embarrassed, not a lot just a little because well we are all not perfect including me....don't stand shell shocked pick you jaw up off the floor because well...it's true...I'm still learning too) so the thing that kept standing out to me in his talk was he said, "we all know the story of Saul" and continued to explain just briefly his persecution toward the church and those who followed it and touched briefly on his conversion "On the Road to Damascus" (hense the title) so everytime I read the talk (and it was SEVERAL times) I always thought to myself. I don't remember this part of the story of Saul?(who is Saul anyway...he said "we all know" and I sat there thinking "I really don't know" but because he only briefly mentioned Saul I didn't think much about it and kept going onto the other points he addresses in his talk trying to figure out HOW I was going to present his message to the sisters.
So I was discouraged because it just wasnt' coming to me. So late Thursday night while Nathan was out of town I finally after spending two hours at the computer trying to put things together I finally decided to go to bed just before midnight. As I lay there staring at the ceiling listening to Jenny Phillips (because I can't sleep without church music when Nathan is gone (long story...another post...LOL) anyway...it HIT ME! READ THE STORY OF SAUL!!!! Well, duh!!! of course...now I just have to clarify that Nathan and I have been reading the Old Testament and have been reading about David and Saul. So reading the talk my mind first came to "that" Saul. I had kept thinking I don't remember that and we are now to the point where Saul in the Old Testament is dead. So I finally made the connection it was a different Saul. So I referred to Elder Uchtdorfts "notes" and found that the Saul he was referring too was in the New Testament the book of Acts to be precise.
Now I have grown up my entire life in the church and I have even served a mission and it is sad to say that until this lesson I had NO IDEA that Saul was indeed the Apostle Paul. So at least I learned something. But what I loved about the story of Saul and this lesson is that Saul's life demonstrated the four key points mentioned in Elder Uchtodoft's talk and so I decided to put them altogether. I felt that was the right thing to do but I was very nervous and uncomfortable about it because it was like Gospel Doctrine meets Relief Society...not that that is bad except that Gospel Doctrine um...frankly kind of intimidates me. I just don't feel I have a strong knowledge of the stories of the scriptures...the spiritual principles within the scriptures-- yes (faith, repentence, etc...) but relating stories from the scriptures to illustrate those points...not so much...so I was a bit intimidated and worried that it might intimidate the sisters too...but I did as the spirit prompted and I was overwhelmed with gratitude at how the lesson went and mostly by the responses and comments made by the sisters about Saul's life, Pauls ministry etc....and how it related to us today. I honestly walked out of there feeling like what Heavenly Father wanted to be taught was taught...but also felt like he did the teaching. I was just his mouth piece along with the other sisters who shared their thoughts. I still am overwhelmed by what I learned from this lesson. And so grateful for sisters in my ward who participated and added that much more to my growth as a "disciple" and as as teacher.
The other thing I just loved about the story of Saul/Paul...is it demonstrates that
1. We are all indeed not perfect
2. The atonement is real for EVERYONE (no one is exempt)
3. Heavenly Father loves ALL of us
4. He has a purpose and "mission" for all of us to fulfill
Well, I must admit this last lesson threw me for a loop. When I first saw that the lesson was by President Uchtdorf. I thought "YES!!" I love President Uctdorf. He is always so uplifting while adding humor and also has that way of enhancing the spirit to the point that at times it can bring you to tears.
So the lesson was "Waiting on the Road to Damascus" so I read through it and was a bit stumped on how to make this lesson "exciting" not that it wasn't exciting to begin with but I just didn't want to stand and read it. But I didn't know how to take my own "adaptation" to engage the sisters in the lesson. I mean the lesson was good, uplifting and he shared some awesome stories that brought tears to my eyes, it all made sense but I just didnt' know what else to do except take quotes directly from the talk and hand them out to get the sisters to participate. But then I always feel like if I do that alot it will become boring and uninvolved. Okay...rambling now...
so to the embarrased part (kind of embarrassed, not a lot just a little because well we are all not perfect including me....don't stand shell shocked pick you jaw up off the floor because well...it's true...I'm still learning too) so the thing that kept standing out to me in his talk was he said, "we all know the story of Saul" and continued to explain just briefly his persecution toward the church and those who followed it and touched briefly on his conversion "On the Road to Damascus" (hense the title) so everytime I read the talk (and it was SEVERAL times) I always thought to myself. I don't remember this part of the story of Saul?(who is Saul anyway...he said "we all know" and I sat there thinking "I really don't know" but because he only briefly mentioned Saul I didn't think much about it and kept going onto the other points he addresses in his talk trying to figure out HOW I was going to present his message to the sisters.
So I was discouraged because it just wasnt' coming to me. So late Thursday night while Nathan was out of town I finally after spending two hours at the computer trying to put things together I finally decided to go to bed just before midnight. As I lay there staring at the ceiling listening to Jenny Phillips (because I can't sleep without church music when Nathan is gone (long story...another post...LOL) anyway...it HIT ME! READ THE STORY OF SAUL!!!! Well, duh!!! of course...now I just have to clarify that Nathan and I have been reading the Old Testament and have been reading about David and Saul. So reading the talk my mind first came to "that" Saul. I had kept thinking I don't remember that and we are now to the point where Saul in the Old Testament is dead. So I finally made the connection it was a different Saul. So I referred to Elder Uchtdorfts "notes" and found that the Saul he was referring too was in the New Testament the book of Acts to be precise.
Now I have grown up my entire life in the church and I have even served a mission and it is sad to say that until this lesson I had NO IDEA that Saul was indeed the Apostle Paul. So at least I learned something. But what I loved about the story of Saul and this lesson is that Saul's life demonstrated the four key points mentioned in Elder Uchtodoft's talk and so I decided to put them altogether. I felt that was the right thing to do but I was very nervous and uncomfortable about it because it was like Gospel Doctrine meets Relief Society...not that that is bad except that Gospel Doctrine um...frankly kind of intimidates me. I just don't feel I have a strong knowledge of the stories of the scriptures...the spiritual principles within the scriptures-- yes (faith, repentence, etc...) but relating stories from the scriptures to illustrate those points...not so much...so I was a bit intimidated and worried that it might intimidate the sisters too...but I did as the spirit prompted and I was overwhelmed with gratitude at how the lesson went and mostly by the responses and comments made by the sisters about Saul's life, Pauls ministry etc....and how it related to us today. I honestly walked out of there feeling like what Heavenly Father wanted to be taught was taught...but also felt like he did the teaching. I was just his mouth piece along with the other sisters who shared their thoughts. I still am overwhelmed by what I learned from this lesson. And so grateful for sisters in my ward who participated and added that much more to my growth as a "disciple" and as as teacher.
The other thing I just loved about the story of Saul/Paul...is it demonstrates that
1. We are all indeed not perfect
2. The atonement is real for EVERYONE (no one is exempt)
3. Heavenly Father loves ALL of us
4. He has a purpose and "mission" for all of us to fulfill
