Talk Time

On Saturday the phone rang and next thing I heard was....Would you please give a talk tomorrow?...

tomorrow?!

(The Counselor explained- the sister that was going to give the talk had ended up out of town. I knew this to be true, as that particular sister had called me late Friday night asking for Hal/Joyce, who do the bulletins, to take her name off of program.  I said- you probably need to call the Bishop, and not them, if you aren't going to be here to speak.)

I said - Yes....

I then asked- what is the subject? 

He was nice and said - Well, it's on the Articles of Faith.  Choose whatever one you want and we never got to hear your testimony, when you were released, so talk about that also.  Just do whatever you feel like. 

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He was between a rock and a hard place for sure.  I wanted to help him out as I knew it wasn't his fault that things fell apart. 

A marvelous part of our lay ministry is the opportunity we have to prepare short talks, 10-15 minutes, every 2-3 years.  When we get that assignment we need time to think it through and get some inspiration.  It's a great time to feel the Spirit, to share our convictions of the Gospel, and to teach each other.

That being said, I confess and will immediately repent, that I have absolutely no patience for anyone conducting/responsible for assigning talks, that doesn't give advance notice.  It's not fair to the speaker nor the congregation.  I rebel against that sort of hi-jinx!!  I see no reason for it.  All 3 men know when it's their month to conduct so they know way far in advance.  Oh, me.  Oh, my!!  am I faultfinding?  If I would say it to someones face does that make it less wicked?  

Just know I have no patience for it.  Maybe I'm the only one that gets grumpy!!

There are probably 40 talk slots available in a year.  No talks on Fast Sunday, 2 Ward Conferences, or yearly Primary program.  So out of 40, say 20 men, 20 women?  There are 103 RS women.  Perhaps more than 50% active.  Let's say 53 active.  So, at 20 thereabouts per year speaking, it's a rare opportunity.  That is one reason why we need ample prep time.  Okay, enough said!!

Because we are not pro-evangelists trained at some ministerial school, we just speak from our heart and life experience and what has touched us about the Gospel.  Sometimes our deliveries are rough but if we listen with our heart and keep focused, even the monotoned voice reveals great experiences.

There was a Hi-Councilman in Anchorage with a very difficult to listen to voice.  I once heard him share that after his first wife had died and over the period of time he was so lonely for her.  He went to a Stateside Temple and she appeared to him in the Temple and told him who/whom? to marry.  When I met him he was married to that 2nd wife.  

This was years ago and at that point I was fascinated with 2 Nephi 18:19  This was the 2nd time I'd heard someone talk about the spirit world being very close.  He shared this amazing experience and a lot of people missed it because they couldn't get past his delivery.  He helped me to realize that it pays to really listen for the gems of truth that saints, many times, share in talks.