I got called to the YW presidency today, and released from Relief Society. On Mother's Day.
I am feeling all sorts of emotions.
I am going to miss serving in RS so much. Mostly serving with Melanie and Holly and Christina, but also feeling a part of things and involve in the ward. It was been a single Sunday, and I already feel disconnected. They had the primary children sing for Mother's Day. They sang "Give, Said The Little Stream," one of my favorite songs. All three of my children were there, for the last year ever: Calista enters YW next year. But they didn't sing it in sacrament meeting. Nope. They went into Relief Society, towards the end of the lesson. And I didn't know. So I didn't get to see or hear it. My babies, for the last time together. And, now that I think of it, the first time, too, because of Covid. I missed out on that. And I hate it.
And then there's my issues I've had simmering with the YM and YW themes, and how the Bishopric should focus on the youth but are over only the YM, specifically.
I mean, when they changed the YW theme to say "I am a beloved daughter of Heavenly Parents" - Father and Mother, I rejoiced. And when they announced the YM would have a theme, too, I rejoiced: why shouldn't the boys have inspiring words like that? Except... "I am a beloved son of God, and He has a work for me to do." Wait, what?
Are the boys not sons of parents, plural? Should they not hear, every week, that they have parents, plural? Or, and I hate to think this, was including Heavenly Parents in the YW theme just meant to mollify the feminists of the church? Was it just all just talk?
Let's not forget that "[the Bishop's] first and foremost responsibility is to care for the young men and young women of his ward. The bishop and his counselors direct the work of the Aaronic Priesthood quorums and the Young Women classes in the ward." (President Nelson, October 2019) Great! Wonderful! The youth are our future and deserve But... the Bishopric doesn't attend YW classes on Sunday. They only attend the YM classes. They attend YW activities only when they are combined with the YM. It seems that the Bishopric is more over the YM than over the YW. It seems like the boys get more of their time and focus.
I do understand that there are safety reasons for some of this. But it rubs a small blister in my skin, never healing, only slowly growing larger and more pronounced. I wonder if soon I won't be able to ignore the discomfort and pain, if my blister will burst and perhaps become infected.
Ultimately, I need to choose to have faith, choose to be obedient, and choose to be patient.
But patience isn't always my strong suit.
