So I recently was called to YW. Heavenly Father is very good at reminding me that he knows JUST what I need. The lessons that I desperately needed as a young women are just as necessary today. I'm loving my girls and I can't wait to see what this calling will bring. I saw this quote on pinterest today and thought I should do a blog post, because this quote hit some of my thoughts lately about being a YW leader.
Being called to YW I couldn't help but think back on the wonderful YW leaders I had. I know if you were in YW you probably are thinking, "No way, mine were the best." But, seriously.... I've grown older and still find that some of my Young Women leaders were and are of the best people I know.
Let me tell you why some of my young women leaders were the BEST.
1. Sure they did their job to teach me on Sunday and tell me that living right makes you happy... blah blah blah... BUT guess what? THEY LIVED IT. My young women leaders were and still are the happiest people I know. AND they were living the way they preached to us to live.
I would jump into their vehicles when they would give me a ride, to find an uplifting CD playing. I would see their family videos when I tended their kids, and remember thinking, "Wow they really don't have those movies they teach us not to watch." They dressed beautiful and modest. No, they NEVER looked for an excuse to dress immodest. I would catch them talking about their personal lives to each other and knew that they actually lived what they taught us.
2. My young women leaders taught me about being a mom, and not while giving a lesson. Nope I can't quote lessons they gave me about having kids, but I can tell you how I saw them treat and talk about their kids. I knew they loved their kids with a love greater than I can express.
I saw things like: - holding their challenging child in a calming reassuring way while the child had a tantrum
- follow through with consequences they told the child they would give.
- Get up early and stay up late for them
- selflessly put themselves on the back burner. They always were thinking about their children and what they needed or wanted.
- Give up loftly careers and "social lives" to make sure they don't lose that critical 15 minutes when a child gets home from school when they talk the most (yep I learned that tidbit of info from a YW leader) - consistently teach their children to pray. They knelt and whispered to them. They had no idea that they made me want to be a mom so bad.
- Go to bat for their kids. Yep I even saw mama bear come out of a few of em!
3. Loved their children's father to eternity and back. These YW of mine honored their roles as mothers and wives. They all had different kinds of husbands but they found the good and doubted the bad. They saw their husbands how the Lord saw them. Being around them and their husbands was a HUGE reason why I was motivated to wait till I found the right one and to never settle. I saw what they had and knew that any amount of sacrifice would be worth a marriage like that. They motivated me to change for the better so that I could be the kind of wife they were. Their marriages were their safe havens. I knew it was possible.
4. None of them came from perfect families, but they did their best to move forward happy. I loved hearing them joke about their crazy families. It helped me feel more normal. I loved how good they were despite childhood experiences. They turned hard trials into stepping stones and they were grateful for the opportunity to grow.
5. They only saw the good in me. They always assumed I was good with good intentions. No they weren't always right, but after a while... I started believing I was as good as they thought I was.
6. They trusted me to make the best decisions for my life. When ever I was overcome with fear about the future or some decision, I never got any thing less than 100% confidence. I would tell them I didn't know what to do, they'd say, "Yes you do." I'd tell them I was worried about not being a good mom. They'd say, "for that reason you'll be the best mom" or "Yes, you really will, I know it". I'd tell them I hoped that I never would get a divorce. They'd tell me I never will. They helped me learn Faith instead of fear. I can't thank them enough.
Right before I stepped into the sealing room on my wedding day I was overwhelmed with emotion (as you can imagine) I knew that several of my YW leaders were there. My heart swelled and I prayed to Heavenly Father that one day they might know the difference they made in my life.
My YW leaders weren't perfect (or so i'm told ha ha) but they did their best and they lived like they believed! I am so grateful for them and hope that I can live like I believe.
