I think it is a gift!

I haven’t been to church in awhile.  Let me rephrase that,  I haven’t been to my ward in awhile.  My calling keeps me visiting other wards and it has been a lot of fun, but  there is something when it comes to attending your own ward.  I am not sure how to describe it…maybe a sense of belonging somewhere.  Almost every ward that I have visited in the past few months have been extremely welcoming.  But there is something about the ward that you belong to…some type of security. 

Well, yesterday, I was able to attend my ward and that is where the adventure begins.  I was seated in the front row of the back part of the chapel.  Did that make sense?  To the left of me was my roommate and to the right of me was our little greeter old-ish type of guy standing in the doorway.  He is always welcoming when you enter the chapel.  You know those old-ish type of people that are always kind and sweet.  Anyway, the organist finished the prelude music and a member of our bishopric began the meeting.  He was making the announcements of who was going to say the opening prayer and such things as that.  All of sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I could see the greeter raise his hand.  Ok…I thought that it was a bit strange that he was raising his hand…I turned to look at him.   He wasn’t raising his hand.  He was staggering.  I jumped up and  grabbed him as all of the programs went flying across the floor.  I looked at the color of his face and there was no color.  He was going down.  I gently with all of my might guided him downward.  Ok…this guy is tall and when it is dead weight…he was heavy.  One of the guys in the congregation jumped up and grabbed him on the other side. 

OK…this is all happening while the announcements are being made.  Then, all of a sudden, I hear…”We will now pause.”  I am thinking…why are we pausing.  But, then I realized that they were stopping the meeting for a moment and that the “pause” was not for us.  The pause was for the Bishop to come down to the episode that is going on.

We got him down to his knees and by this time a few other guys were there to help lift him back up on the bench.  A nurse from our ward runs up and starts accessing the situation and then, they move him out into the hallway.  We close the doors.  The ambulance comes and they take him to the hospital. 

Back to the pulpit, the meeting begins.  My roommate is freaking out and I am just as calm as can be.

Now that I reflect back on what happened…I never did feel a sense of panic.  I was fine through the whole situation.  I think it is odd that everything felt like it was in slow motion but I remained calm throughout the whole adventure.  I realized that it is a gift  from our Heavenly Father that I can remain calm throughout a scary situation.  Is it a gift?  I think so.  Of course, it isn’t one that comes in colorful packages but one that is built from within.

I think back at scary moments in my life and I HAVE remained calm.  The after moment is when I start to panic but during the whole ordeal…I am fine.  I am grateful for this gift.    I am truly grateful for it.

~Michelle