"Remember, it's not just what you get out of active participation in the church, but what you can give and contribute as well."-Barbara Thompson, Mind the Gap, Nov. 2009 EnsignFinding "a needle in a haystack" is a pithy saying and thought to be a superior feat! No ordinary task!
Last week Paige was in charge of making Hawaiian Haystacks for her BYU singles ward. She had to calculate amounts of ingredients to purchase and enlist a volunteer force. Since being the lead cook is a new adventure for Paige, I thought about 2 good lessons she can glean from the experience (not that she asked - but that hasn't stopped me before). My needle, so to speak, in the haystack...for what it's worth anyway!
If asked, Paige could probably group the ward members into 2 types.
Type 1: People in this group maybe attended and maybe they didn't. Either way, they weren't involved in set up. Or food preparation. They ate. They left. They weren't around for clean up. Nor did they say "Hey, thanks!" to anyone.
Type 2: These are the people who provided recipes, or offered to help shop for ingredients, or volunteered to cook chicken, or pitched in on set up, or stayed for clean up, or even just expressed thanks and appreciation to Paige and her committee cohorts.
Two Lessons! First, in regards to Type 1 People: Forgetaboutit! In other words, don't waste energy wondering why they didn't volunteer or why they didn't say thank you, etc. Sometimes people fall into Type 1 for a good reason that we aren't aware of. Second guessing their motives (or lack thereof) is futile! Maybe their mother didn't force them to say thank you so many times that it became second nature.
Second, in regards to the Type 2 People: Don't forgetaboutit! Whenever we are the one in charge, we suddenly really notice who offers a hand, who sticks around, who pitches in, and last but never least, who says Thank You! Any chairperson will confirm that these are the people who "save the day."
So, my Hawaiian Haystack Parable in short: #1: life's too short to focus/dwell on people who didn't help (their loss) and be careful not to judge them. #2: Remember the worker bees! Remember how nice if felt to be thanked! Remember to find yourself amongst this group!
Staging any event gives us appreciation for behind-the-scenes efforts! Everyone should have an opportunity to "host" things. We learn a lot, both from good and some not-so-good examples!
Paige is in those transitioning years. She's left behind Young Women's years of "getting served" to becoming a Relief Society sister "giving service"! There will be plenty of future opportunities to practice being a Type 2 Person (whether help has been solicited or whether we just volunteer).
As a side note: Paige's activity went off without a hitch! Success! ALOHA!
