Sharing, Sharing That's the Thing to Do... Public Foray #6

Last Sunday, I made my first foray back to church.  I hoped that I was ready for the event because church is a major undertaking at 9 am with all your limbs.  I got up early, had a whole-grain cheerios breakfast, shaved my legs -- yes even the broken one that no one would see, got dressed, did my hair and makeup, put on my giant boot and was ready to roll--back into bed.  Wow, what an easy Sunday.  And then it hit, Jeff was in bed, the kids had no idea where their church clothes were and we had only 25 minutes to go.  I will admit that I grumped everyone into action, especially the boys that threw their shirts in the back of the closet after church last week and required me to attempt yet another first, ironing.  Did I mention that I was doing Sharing Time?  We made it 10 minutes late and miraculously there was a bench only three rows up. That NEVER happens.  Nothing like walking in late, except doing it on crutches really is more distracting for everyone.  Lucky for us, they were in the middle of singing.  I was more than a little embarrassed and tears were stinging my eyes.  I dearly hate being a spectacle.  I was in no mood to feel the spirit or do a seated song and dance for the Primary kids.  

Our Sharing Time was themed "Jesus healed the sick,"  and I am just the sick person to teach it.  I had been reading for the past week in the New Testament and found that this time something new stood out.  In Matthew, nearly every chapter from the time that Christ ended his 40-day fast until his arrest--  he was healing someone.  I got a new picture of people streaming in and following everywhere he went to be healed.   Just remembering my scripture study started to chisel away at my negative attitude.   I talked about this with the kids and how doctors didn't know very much and couldn't do very much in Jesus' time.  Which was a nice segue for me to talk about breaking my own leg and how it couldn't heal on its own, so the doctors had to use an idea of using screws and plates.  I showed them my x-rays, bolts and all.  The little kids were speechless for about 10 seconds, then hands shot up all over the room because everyone needed to tell me about how they or someone they knew had broken something.  One little boy told us about how his dad fell off the roof and broke his foot.  Wow, ouch.  Well, no sympathy from the 3-7 set.  I bet when their parents asked what they learned in Primary, they only said that 'Sister Macedone is screwed up."  A lesson to us all, kids get distracted by gore.  

Senior Primary fared better.  I had the good sense to ask if any of them had broken a bone from the get go.  They didn't care for much but seeing the screws and bolts, hmmm-- too many video games? Lesson 2, more sophisticated audiences want more gore?  I had known that this group would need more examples.  We talked about the priesthood power.  I shared a story from General Conference from Russel M. Nelson (May 2003).  I guess I like the anatomy-based teaching too, because I thought it was only a couple years ago.    He talked about a man with a heart problem that couldn't be fixed with any of the surgical techniques available.  The man went to then Dr. Nelson and told him that he had prayed and been led to Elder Nelson as the man who would fix his heart.  He encouraged Elder Nelson to pray to know how it was to be done.  In the very moment, Elder Nelson was directed where to make stitches, folds and cuts to repair the man's leaking valve. Don't worry, I was sure to point out the repaired valve on the heart diagram that I had brought.  The kids were riveted.  A couple kids shared personal experiences of someone being healed.  It was really cool to feel the spirit so strongly and my day could be turned around by the spirit so easily.  I think that is party of being "easily entreated,"  allowing the spirit to drive away your stress and negativity.  All in all, a positive foray.