The theme for Stake Conference yesterday was Finding Joy as you focus your life on Christ. Each talk centered around scriptures and personal stories about finding joy. A common remark was about how trials in life will always be there because that is what life is all about. But finding joy during your journey through life can happen when we focus on Christ. Some of the stories were so touching that I couldn't help tearing up. One speaker commented that tearing up is one of the ways to know when you have joy. I must have joy a lot judging from how much I tear up.
I arrived early yesterday because the choir members were asked to arrive a full hour before so we could warm up and do a sound check. That took me back to all of the years when I was leading the Stake Conference choirs in other Stakes. As people came in and took their places in the congregation yesterday, I realized how relatively few people I knew in this Stake, even though I have lived here going on 15 years. (But six years I spent in the Tabernacle Choir and didn't attend my ward. And three more years, my husband and I served in a student Stake over on BYU campus.) I remember thinking that in other Stakes I could look out on the congregation and recognize many people. I guess that's what happens when you have a Stake calling and do a lot of visiting to the various wards. You naturally get to know a lot of people.
Then as the speakers began their talks, I realized that I actually knew some of them. And I learned from one lady's talk that we must be cousins since she was speaking about our common ancestor. I even remembered meeting our organist when we were on the same concert years ago in Monterey, California. At that point, I realized that being a member of the Church keeps this world a really small place. My eyes started leaking again, so I must have felt joy realizing that I was not as alone as I thought.
Before the meeting started, I leaned over and asked my choir mate if she had always lived in this Stake. She said that she had not, but that she was noticing how many of the people in the congregation she knew, and not because of growing up here. She recognized many people from other places she lived, but who now live in our stake. Again, being a member of the Church keeps this world a small place.
Fun memories came flooding back when we sang the closing hymn "Redeemer of Israel." That was one of the songs we sang on the concert in Monterey that jogged my memory about meeting our organist years ago. Back then, I had arranged that hymn for choir and piano. He said, "Just wait. It'll sound great on the organ." Being the tremendous organist he is, my piece did indeed sound great. And sticking to the theme of Conference yesterday, these fun memories brought me joy.
Then as the speakers began their talks, I realized that I actually knew some of them. And I learned from one lady's talk that we must be cousins since she was speaking about our common ancestor. I even remembered meeting our organist when we were on the same concert years ago in Monterey, California. At that point, I realized that being a member of the Church keeps this world a really small place. My eyes started leaking again, so I must have felt joy realizing that I was not as alone as I thought.
Before the meeting started, I leaned over and asked my choir mate if she had always lived in this Stake. She said that she had not, but that she was noticing how many of the people in the congregation she knew, and not because of growing up here. She recognized many people from other places she lived, but who now live in our stake. Again, being a member of the Church keeps this world a small place.
Fun memories came flooding back when we sang the closing hymn "Redeemer of Israel." That was one of the songs we sang on the concert in Monterey that jogged my memory about meeting our organist years ago. Back then, I had arranged that hymn for choir and piano. He said, "Just wait. It'll sound great on the organ." Being the tremendous organist he is, my piece did indeed sound great. And sticking to the theme of Conference yesterday, these fun memories brought me joy.
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