Gratitude

You know those kids in Primary that we all consider "difficult"?  They're the ones who can't sit in their chair for more than 3 seconds at a time.  When they're not in their seats, they can be found bothering the piano player, climbing over the top of the mini-podium, trying to distract whoever is in front of the room, or lying in the middle of the aisle with their shoes off and underpants showing.  They repeatedly find some way to escape unnoticed from the Primary room and run down the hall as fast as they can before someone catches them.  Their teachers call them "special spirits", others find their antics "endearing", and the rest of us are grateful we don't have to take them home with us after church is over.

Unless you're the parent of one.  Which I am.  Hello, my name is Gina, and I am Amy's mother. 

Every week in Primary is an exhausting struggle for me.  Amy is darling, sweet girl, but she's also a handful.  It is especially stressful  because I am in the Primary Presidency, and if I am not teaching Sharing Time or filling in for the music leader, I'm busy supervising bathroom trips, finding substitutes on the fly, and making sure every teacher has chalk and an eraser (or whatever).

I am also one of those people who feels that her children are her responsibility, and I don't want anyone else to have to keep track of my kids because I can't do it myself.  But between the responsibilities of my calling, the constant escape attempts, the inability to stay in her seat, and the loud wailing that occurs when Amy isn't allowed to do whatever she wants, I have reached a point where I don't know if I should quit Primary, or Amy should.

Well, today, we had a person substituting for another class who knows all about Amy because of a previous incident (not involving her) that occurred during Sacrament Meeting--which is totally not worth going into here because it happened several weeks ago, and I really should have gotten over it by now, but I haven't--and she pulled me aside today and said, "Would it help you at all if I came to Primary every week for the first hour and just sat with Amy?"  It's like the answer to a prayer I haven't even said yet.  I couldn't say yes fast enough.

It would have been so easy for this sister to just come in, do exactly what she was asked to do and go on her merry way, but she didn't.  She could have thought, "It's not my problem." or "I've already got my own kids to deal with.", but she didn't.  She could have considered all the other responsibilities she has as a member of the Relief Society Presidency, but she didn't.  She saw a need, and wanted to fill it.  What a great example of Christ-like service.  She offered to help, and as hard as it is for me to accept any kind of assistance, I know I need it.  And Amy needs it so that she can be still enough to feel God's love for her and hear what is being taught.  Someday, I hope to do the same for a young mother who has a wonderfully difficult child that needs some extra love and support.  I will put my arm around her and say, "I know you're having a hard time.  I've been there myself.  Let me help you."

I am filled with gratitude for this amazing, righteous, and selfless woman and for my Father in Heaven who put her in the right place at the right time today.