Change is Good

I was recently released from my Church calling and have been given a new one.  I had my old calling, or one similar to it, for 11 of the past 13 years.  I have been an assistant or secretary in the HP Quorum for the majority of the last 13 years with brief lapses when I served in the bishopric and when the Group Leader was released, but I've always been called right back into the the HP Quorum.

Not this time.  I'm now second counselor in the ward Young Men's organization.  It's been a long time since I've worked with the young men, and most of the time it has been a challenging, but enjoyable calling.  I'm excited for the change.

I've been car camping with them twice, and have been favorably impressed with most of the boys, but there are some behaviors that concern me.  One is that a few of the boys try diligently to do as little as possible.  For example, we've worked on the personnel fitness merit badge which requires, among other things, for them to set a benchmark for situps, pushups, pull-ups, stretch and a run.  After working through a fitness program, they do the same events again and try to show some improvement.  Most of the boys gave their benchmarking session a real diligent effort.  However, a couple of them walked the entire distance and did the absolute minimums on other exercises.  Talk about taking the easy path.

We have one young man with Cerebal Palsey.  Everything is difficult for him, but he never quits and he has given it his whole effort 0n each event.  He used his walker for the run, and he gave it every bit of energy that he had in order to make it around the loop twice.  I asked if he wanted to quit after the first lap, but he saw that all of the other boys went around twice and so he hung in there until he made the second lap.  I was totally impressed.

I'm looking for a good opportunity to serve the YM, but it has been a long time.  Hopefully I'll have the patience for it and I'll be able to help them in some small was as they continue to mature.