Tuesday, May 4, 2010

May I Rant?

Can I just stand on my soapbox and vent for a moment? Primary: Best calling in the Church.
I mean it.
I will admit that when I was a Primary teacher, at times I felt very much like a glorified babysitter. Luckily, I also realized that I was also performing a huge service for the kid's parents by allowing them to go to their classes and feel the Spirit.
But a calling is Primary is more than that, whether it be as a teacher, a Cub Scout leader, or in Activity Days. You are helping to raise and grow future missionaries, future leaders of the Church, future members of your community.
What greater responsibility is there?! What more important calling is there?!
My beautiful friend and Primary President said something a few weeks ago that had never occurred to me before:
"They deserve a lesson."
And they do. As a teacher, you are not there to just keep them out of trouble and keep them quiet. You are a teacher! Heavenly Father didn't call you to be a babysitter, he called you to be a teacher. Teach them. They are Children of God, and they deserve to know it. So teach them that their Heavenly Father loved them enough to give them good parents who would bring them to church. He loved them enough to restore the Gospel, so they would have something to learn about and aspire too. And He loved them enough to call YOU to Primary, so you can serve them, teach them, and learn to love them too.
I don't believe there is a harder or more rewarding calling in the Church than being in Primary. You don't get the awards and the accolades, but you will get the blessings. And you will learn to love those kids.
Primary teachers, CS leaders, AD leaders who do more than just show up, but come with every intention of fulfilling and magnifying their callings, they are the ones who understand and love Primary. Thank you to those sweet brothers and sisters. You deserve every blessing that comes your way and a million more.
I'll hop down now.

4 comments:

Jennifer said...

So TRUE! If only all teachers realized how important their calling is. Primary is the best calling in the whole church!! We are lucky to be apart of it!

Stephens Family said...

Amen! I used to feel the same way being a nursery leader - I totally felt like the whole point was to be a babysitter so the moms and dads could go to class. But when I saw how quickly these little ones learn and remember things...wow. It made me realize that nursery is just the beginning of a lifelong learning of the gospel. Well said, Aimee!

Amy Jo Madsen said...

I'm totally with ya. We have some of the most amazing Primary teachers in our ward. They don't JUST have fun with the kids, although they do. And they don't JUST love the kids, although they do. They TEACH the kids, and do it in ways that the kids don't even realize they're learning, half the time. I look up to those wonderful teachers. And I miss Primary. (Sob, sniff.)

janabigelow said...

Primary is definately one vof the hardest callings! But I am greatful to those willing to teach my kids! Jackson is not an easy child (especiaaly at church) and I am very greatful that someone is willing to give up their time at church to help my son just be able to sit and try to get something out of it! Also, so I can go teach my primary class without having to worry about him!