I got a call yesterday from our Stake Primary president. I wanted to blurt out as I answered the phone, "I got released last week, I'm not in Primary any more!" But I didn't, I waited until I heard what happy event brought her to pick up her phone and dial my number. She was in Utah, and she'd just found out that a member of the Primary general board was visiting our Stake conference this weekend, and she needed someone to pick her up from the hotel and take her to conference. I live close to her hotel and was glad to do that. But I did have to confess before she left that I wasn't serving in Primary any more. She was sad, but she still let me pick up our visitor. :)
Getting to the hotel on time was a bit of an adventure. We have a missionary in our branch, Elder Murrillo. He lives in Gaithersburg, a little over an hour drive from us. He needed a missionary haircut - his hair was getting bushy. So he took the bus down to our house (2 1/2 hours, all together) so I could give him a haircut. When he got here, I realized with shock that the hair clippers were in the car - the one Marriner had taken to the stake center for bishop training meeting. There wasn't anything else to do but drive over to the church and get them, which I did slightly more quickly than usual, or than the speed limit typically indicates. When I got back, we had 20 minutes before we needed to leave. I'd told everyone to eat dinner while I was gone, but the kids had gotten in a fight, so they hadn't eaten yet. So I started chopping hair fast, knowing that Elder Murrillo and I could eat dinner in the car if needed. Well, let me tell you, this Elder wins the "Elder with the most hairs on his head" award - probably in the whole church. The clippers jammed if I tried to run them over his head. I had to cut so slowly at first! Once we got the initial mop trim, it went more quickly. But not a fast job by any means. We got the haircut done, then bless the Saturday traffic, we didn't have to leave as early as I thought and had 5 minutes to grab some food. Elder M grabbed some rice, I made a peanut butter and nutella sandwich (easier to eat while driving), and we were off to pick up Sister Snow. As we took off, I realized that it might be against some sort of mission rule for an elder to be driving alone with a sister, but if it was, he didn't know it, and there was nothing we could do about it now. :) We got to the hotel right on time, and it was dark, so Sister Snow didn't see the bread crumbs all over our freshly vacuumed car, ha ha. :)
After conference, Elder M. caught a ride home with some members going north, and I took Sister Snow back to the hotel. We had a great time talking. It's funny how someone you don't know can be your instant friend when you have the gospel in common. What we knew about each other was that we both love the Lord, and we both have a lot of experiences feeling His love and presence in our lives. And once you start telling those sorts of stories, you can go on forever. And it's like Thanksgiving dinner - delicious and satisfying, and you don't stop until long after you probably should have. (Except that with testimony, it's not gluttony to keep going!) We pulled up to her hotel and just kept talking and telling stories - we'd both had a long and busy week, and it was just nice to sit and talk for a bit. I went home past my bedtime, but feeling so close to my Father, and so full of His love. It was lovely. I'm so grateful for the chance I had to make a new friend - the sort who fills your soul with the fire of testimony.
In the course of our conversation, I said one thing that I believe deeply with my soul, and I want to share with all of you. "If there's one thing I wish I could tell everyone in the church, it's that when you give your whole heart to serving the Lord, He takes care of your children." Sister Snow replied with the reverent voice of conviction, "And your grandchildren." What an exciting thing it is to serve a God who will bless my family through the generations for the meager service I render.
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