Since being called into the bishopric, I have a much greater appreciation of the work and time that go into keeping a ward running. Our bishop spends many more hours serving than me or the other counselor do and bears a much greater burden but our part is still more than expected at times. Today was not an uncommon Sunday. It went like this.
5:00 am: Wake up, see if the ward bulletin info has been texted or emailed to me (that’s one of my responsibilities), it wasn’t so I went back to bed. Oh how I love my bed.
5:30 am: Wake up, get dressed (I showered at night), see if the ward bulletin info is all there (it was), type up and attempt to print the bulletin so I can make copies. Grab three breakfast bars and assume there’ll be time to eat them at some point.
5:55 am: At church now, I print the bulletin using the church printer since my printer at home was acting up. Consume breakfast bars.
6:00 am: Bishopric meeting
7:00 am: PEC
7:25 am: Sneak off to the library to make 100 copies of the bulletin
7:30 am: Ward Council
8:00 am: During ward council, got an instant message from a member of the Sunday School Presidency (who was out of town) saying they didn’t have anybody to teach Gospel Doctrine (which started in two hours) and that none of the presidency was in town. What!?
8:01 am: After a brief discussion with the bishopric, it’s decided that I’ll teach Gospel Doctrine since I’m over Sunday School (and teaching Gospel Doctrine was my last calling).
8:30 am: Run home to get HDMI cable, drink a cup of chocolate milk.
8:50 am: Sitting on the stand at church trying to cram for the Sunday School Lesson
9:00 am: Church starts. Very thankful it’s not my turn to conduct so I can study the lesson a bit more. Sacrament was good – excellent messages from the High Council. Lesson as ready as it’s going to be.
10:10 am: Get the TV from the library, head to Gospel Doctrine. Nervous to teach. Upon arriving, the Gospel Doctrine instructor (the one that teaches every other week) asks what I’m doing. Apparently he was also contacted at 8:00 am and asked to teach. Good to know. I gladly step down and leave it to the professional.
11:00 am: Find eight-year-old daughter crying in the hallway because the poor girl has to give a talk in Primary and didn’t know it. We obviously didn’t know it either.
11:01 am: Awesome neighbor overhears the dilema and hands us the talk that her daughter just delivered in Jr. Primary. Life saver.
11: 02 am: After comforting daughter, head back to the library to return the unused TV. Chat with librarians.
11:10 am: Help daughter with Primary talk. She does great (thanks, neighbors!).
11:20 am: Head to Deacons quorum to sit in on their class.
12:00 pm: Start on tithing processing with Financial Clerk.
12:15 pm: Bishop’s Youth Council (BYC)
12:45 pm: Bishop’s Challenge Meeting
1:55 pm: Temple recommend interviews with two brothers from the ward
2:20 pm: Finish tithing and donations with ward financial clerk. Starving.
3:00 pm: Other counselor picks me up and we take the donations to the bank on the way to a Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting in Provo. He has a baggie with Fruit Loops that he offers me. Thank goodness for kiddy treats.
4:00 pm: Meeting begins and we’re thrilled to see 11 of the 12 apostles present!
4:08 pm: Despite best intentions, some serious nodding off is taking place. Struggling.
4:30 pm: Great videos being shown and I’m more alert now. Shedding tears like a baby watching a father look up at his son who is passing the sacrament. The messages of the meeting are pretty amazing and moving. Glad I came.
6:00 pm: Meeting ends and we head home.
6:45 pm: Home at last. Lettuce Wraps are still on the table – one of my favorites.
After that it was a fairly typical evening. Cleaning up, answering obscure questions from the kids, eating yummy dessert that mom made, giving horsie rides, stories, scripture videos, family prayers and then the kids are off to bed. Somewhere in the midst of all of this I remembered that I was recently asked to create an arrow of light award for one of the cub scouts by Tuesday night so I chatted with my brother (who has done dozens of them) to see when I could come over to use his tools. I fell asleep while working on this blog post and now I’m finishing it up the next morning.
Sundays are long days but they’re always dotted with spiritual events that remind why we all do what we do. They always make me want to be better, to be more. They ground me and remind me what my potential is. They make me grateful for my wife, my kids and my Savior. They keep me in check.
I wanted to record the events of today to remind me of this time in my life. Not sure if my Sundays will get longer or shorter but I assume shorter. My weekdays aren’t nearly as busy when it comes to church activity, so that’s a good thing. I can’t deny that I’m a very blessed man. My wife is amazing. She’s kind and selfless and hot and wonderful and my best friend. I couldn’t ask for more. My kids are awesome. They’re cute and funny and strong. I miss them whenever we’re away. They drive me nuts when I’m home but mostly they’re great. I am indeed a lucky man.
Hasta la proxima,
Nils