There is an old saying that the only constant in life is change. After a rocky start teaching music to the children at our church, it became one of the greatest experiences I have ever had. But eventually, the day came when our congregation leader, whom we called Bishop or the bishop, asked me to visit with him in his office.
“Daris,” he said, “how long have you been teaching music to the children?”
“Around four and a half years,” I replied.
The shock from my response showed in his face. “Wow!” he said. “I remember when we asked you to take the assignment, and we said we expected to keep you in it for only a year. But you’ve been so good that I didn’t realize how long it has been. You have really loved the children, haven’t you?”
I nodded. “I feel like children are God’s gift to the world, and we show our gratitude to Him in how we love and train them.”
“And they have loved you, too,” he replied. “That is why asking you to take on a different assignment is hard, because I know how much they will miss you.”
“I will miss them, too,” I replied.
He leaned toward me and put his arms on his desk. “We might have kept you there if it wasn’t for another assignment we desperately need you in. We have a large group of boys who are now scouting age. You know them well because you taught them music. Your work in scouting is legendary, and these boys need your skill in the outdoors and mentoring for their lives. Will you do that?”
I nodded. “If that’s where I can be of the most value, I will give my whole heart to it.”
He smiled. “I know you will.”
The bishop wanted someone ready to replace me, so it was a couple of weeks before they announced the change. When I went for the last time to teach the children, there was a solemness as I started.
“Well,” I said, “when you children get old enough to move on into scouting and other teenage things, I have had you choose your favorite songs to sing for your last day with us. So, I guess today it’s my turn.”
As we sang a lively, fun song, few joined in, and some started to cry. I finally had to stop, not able to sing myself. One small girl ran up, threw her arms around my leg, and cried. I picked her up into my arms.
“Why are you going to leave us?” she asked. “Don’t you love us?”
I nodded. “Of course I love you, Mary. But sometimes in life, we are asked to take different assignments. There are some boys who need me with them now.”
“But we need you, too,” she said.
“I’ll still be around,” I replied. “And your new music leader will love you. And maybe I can sub if she needs someone.”
Everyone cheered up a bit after that, and the singing was more enjoyable. As we were ending, one of the children’s organization leaders came up to where I was.
“We have a special present for you,” she told me. “We knew you were leaving because we were asked to suggest a replacement. We didn’t tell the children other than to say we wanted to get a gift for you. Everyone, including the children, has chipped in for it.”
She presented me with a beautiful, framed picture of Jesus with children gathered around him, and a smaller one with a hanging ring on it. “We thought you might like to hang the smaller one on your Christmas tree,” she said.
Many of the children rushed up to give me a hug, and I struggled to hold in my emotions. When I went home, I hung the ornament on our tree. It reminded me that Christmas was about God’s gift to the world of a very special child. The ornament seemed very appropriate.
Then, after getting my emotions under control, I readied myself for my new scouting assignment — something familiar, but something always adventurous and challenging.
Views expressed do not necessarily represent those of The SUN.
