WALK WITH ME

WALK WITH ME

… My Spirit is upon you… and thou shalt abide in me,
and I in you; therefore walk with me.
Moses 6:34 (emphasis added)


“Oh, Rick, I can’t do that!” Richard Henderson had been bishop for a good 48 hours, and a main result of the first meeting with his counselors was the confirmation to call Charlotte Johansen, dentist’s wife and mother of six, including 3 teen-agers, as the Relief Society president.

She continued, “As you well know, there are sisters in our ward who I don’t seem to be able to get along with. Why, I can’t even organize a successful birthday party for my kids, let alone those extravaganzas that those sisters seem to expect. Besides, do I look like a Relief Society president? Look at me! I’m frumpy, and there’s a reason for that. Our twin teen-age sons are driving us bonkers. But they’re not half the challenge that their older sister is right now. It’s all I can do to keep things from completely collapsing around here, let alone have time for me. I’m working down at the office to help with finances, and I still have a pre-schooler! Are you serious?! There is no way – it would be a disaster.”

Her husband was glowering. His body language said it all, but he spoke anyway. “I’m in a pretty dark place these days, you might as well know. It’s even hard to get myself to church. I cannot honestly say that you could count on my support if she’s called. Sorry, but that’s the way it is, I’m afraid.”

Rick sensed that his good friend had been expecting to be called as the bishop, and when it didn’t happen he was devastated. Now embarrassment for feeling that way had set in. This was not the time to directly call it to his attention.

“Believe me, I’ve been to similar places. Pretty scary. Tell you what, let’s get together for lunch first chance we have, and we’ll talk it through.” Sister Johansen’s husband visibly softened.

“Char (calling her by the formal ‘Sister Johansen’ would not have been appropriate right then), I realize that everything you have said is absolutely true.” She looked startled – she hadn’t expected that response – but at least the bishop had her complete attention. “But that is only half the equation. You have tremendous strengths to go along with your inadequacies. As you know, many of our brothers and sisters are really struggling right now. Since the bottom fell out of the crude oil prices, we’re dealing with a wave of unemployment. Families have to move to find work, but they can’t sell their homes even for what they owe on them. You’re feeling it, too, aren’t you: people are postponing dental work, and aren’t able to pay if they have had some done. And you, Charlotte Johansen, understand as no one else the plight of our struggling sisters. You do so with such sweet compassion and concern. They need that, they respond to it, they appreciate it so much when someone understands, and cares. You can love them – you do love them – and give them hope, Char, better than anyone I know. You can call counselors who have strengths in the areas where you struggle, so that the presidency, not the individual, is the total package. Your counselors can run the program, and you can be free to play to your strengths, to love the down and out. If indeed this is the will of the Lord that you serve in this capacity, I promise that you will be blessed to see beyond the façade of the fashion police, sense their inner self-esteem struggles, their challenges to find lasting happiness, and come to love them also. You will be able to deal with your own family matters with an extra helping of charity, the pure love of Christ. That will make a welcome difference, both to you and to them. Will you and that great husband of yours take this to the Lord, and find out from Him if this is His will?”

“Well, Bishop Henderson – it’ll take awhile for me to get used to calling you that – since you put it that way, we’ll see what happens when we ask the Lord about it.”

“How about you, Gordon – will you join your wife in her efforts to find out?”

“Well, I haven’t quit praying yet. I suppose I can stick that into a prayer or two.”

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“Have you gotten an answer yet?” It was two days later. Bishop Henderson was calling from work. The question came after the obligatory chit-chat.

“Well, I can love those sisters, if that’s what you mean. I already do. But I still can’t organize, or please the fashion police.”

“So, who’s going to help you with those things? I’ll need their names before Sunday.”

She already had them in mind.