I just passed the one-year mark of being the Relief Society President in my ward. When I tell people about my job at church, they always have the same sort of response, “what a hard calling!” While I’m sure people have all sorts of definitions of what makes something a “hard” calling, I don’t think they would suspect the thing about Relief Society President that I consider most difficult: being really spiritual. Theoretically I should have been really spiritual for all of my callings. Being the Activity Day Leader, however, didn’t feel like it required me to be in tune with the Holy Ghost quite as much.
Last summer I got a call from the Bishop. “Sister So-and-So’s husband just told her he wants a divorce and custody of their kids. I told her you’d call and talk to her.” SAY WHAT? Things like that don’t happen very often but there are dozens of times that I have to walk into situations that I know nothing about and advise and comfort people. This is why I have to stay close to the Holy Spirit: I need to tell people what the Lord wants them to hear. That’s a big responsibility.
It’s hard for me to be spiritual all the time. OK, it’s hard for me to be spiritual 20% of the time. I thought by this point I would be super into reading the scriptures but that hasn’t really happened. I do read my scriptures every single day but I still have to make myself do it. My scripture study isn’t nearly as in-depth and sincere as it should be.
I have gotten really good at praying, though. That’s the thing that has surprised me the most. When the Lord says over and over again that He will answer our prayers, it’s not like we think. He’s not saying that He’s a genie and now every wish we have will come true. It’s more like, “when you need help, pray to me and I will be there to make you stronger.” That has happened so often. My testimony of prayer giving my life power has grown by a thousand.
Sometimes, though, the harder I want to try to become more spiritual, the less I feel like it’s working. I feel like staying close to the Holy Spirit is like trying to pick up Jello with a toothpick. It’s hard to know how to increase spirituality, but it’s even harder to want to increase our spirituality.
How have you been able to improve your relationship with the Savior? What steps have worked well to make the Holy Ghost a more constant companion? How do you want to want to increase your spirituality?
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