I was just reviewing the
visiting teaching message for this month, as I am going visiting teaching tomorrow morning. This is my favorite part:
"Every time we watch over one another, godlike qualities of love, patience, kindness, generosity, and spiritual commitment fill the souls of those we visit and enlarge our souls as well. In the process, we honor our covenants. I see legions of faithful sisters around the world going forward on the Lord's errands, performing simple yet significant service"
Bonnie D. Parkin, Relief Society general president
I love how Sister Parkin says "simple yet significant service." Visiting teaching is a simple thing, but I have felt its significance many times in my life. I don't think I appreciated visiting teaching until I was a lonely new mother in Provo. Since then, I have begun to see it as a nice excuse to make new friends. I used to think of it as a kind of forced friendship (which I hated as a single girl living with 10 roommates), but in the last few years I have realized that sometimes a forced friendship is an okay thing. My current visiting teaching partner is a mother of 9 (she is pregnant with #10) who somehow manages to remain calm and serene in the midst of her hectic home life. I teach a woman who is lucky enough to have just given birth to her third, and a woman whose children are grown.
I love these women. They are strong, righteous examples. I can't imagine moving to a new area, as I have recently done, and not having the instant friendships that come with visiting teaching. Today I am grateful for this inspired program.
Now, have you all done your visiting teaching yet this month?
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10 babies? wow. no, i haven't done mine yet, but I just realized that an inactive sister I teach has a son in Parker's class. How conveeeeenient!
ReplyDeleteI've done one of my 3 sisters! Yeah!
ReplyDeleteSometimes a forced friendship is really hard though... especially when it is my companion...
I think sometimes VT can really be a good thing, and other times it is just weird.
Luckily, in our ward, people are compassionate and service oriented with out having to be asked by the compassionate service leader or a VT... We are in an amazing ward! If someone hears of a need, they get people moving to get it filled.
I heart Visiting Teaching - not that I always have -- VTing at BYU is kinda wierd when you're single and you walk accross the lawn to do it. I think I gained my testimony of it all since I've had this calling. It is truly an inspiried program and I'll cite just two reasons:
ReplyDelete1) the bishop and the RS pres. can't do it all - we are looking after eachother which is very important.
2) we are learning how to be goddess - since we are humans and don't look after everyone around us naturally, we need an assignment so that we can learn. like every other eternal principle, we can learn it here (and with the right attitude, I might add) or we can waste time (because we could be doing other things) in the life to come learning this principle.
I can't say enough about VTing so I'll stop there - hurrah for RS!!
You were an awesome visiting teacher, Steph. I'm so glad you were consistent at coming each month, I always looked forward to your visits. Your friendship helped me a lot during those first few months in our ward...thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI did send 1 of the 2 a letter (that is all I am supposed to do. She has issues and we are advised not to visit...long story). And I am trying to get together with the other girl this week. Thanks for the reminder!!
ReplyDeleteHaven't done mine yet... just got assigned my next door neighbor (in addition to a TON of others). I thought she was against the church from some other comments she made. Love to hear other people's view on the message... sometimes I read it and don't get anything out of it and mine tend to just "visit" and forget the message.
ReplyDelete2/3 so far this month. :)
ReplyDeleteUsually when I first read through the messages, I'm not impressed. It takes a few times of reading and pondering for me to really "get" it. By the time we visit our third sister I'm usually a big fan of the message - each quote is just packed with power and applications. I especially like visiting teaching right now because I'm in the primary and visiting teaching is often the only "Relief Socity" association that I have. Hurray for visiting teaching! :)