Runaway

Apparently I get the opportunity to learn what life will be like with an inactive spouse (actually she’s been consciously inactive for months but it has shifted from “I can’t go do the social part of church” to “I refuse to believe what I still must admit that I basically know”) bordering on antagonistic toward the church. I get the feeling today that if Laura returns to activity it will only be by starting at the ground floor doctrinally and building her faith from the foundation. On the other hand, we may find that this borderline antagonistic perspective may be partially driven by the medication she didn’t take last night – the downside to the increased energy that seems to come when she skips those pills.

Ezra was in a mood when it was time for church at 1:30 today and he had me sitting in the car with him before he got dressed for church. When he finally got out of the van (back door) he disappeared by the time I got out the front door. I looked in Quail Cove in case he had gone to see bunnies but he wasn’t there. I drove toward home and found him on the side of the road with a police officer. Apparently someone had seen him and called the police. I’m hoping the officer had barely arrived.

We went back to church and Ezra said he wanted to go to class. As I walked him in he declared that he would go to my stake meeting with me instead. When we got to the stake offices Ezra decided to sit in the foyer rather than go into the meeting. I had a great meeting with the Stake Presidency and the Sunday School presidencies from throughout the stake.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way – we need to focus on inspiring diligent learning. We also need to remember that this is more than changing the way we teach – it is changing the culture of the classrooms. I see priesthood meetings and gospel doctrine classes being more ready for the new model but the younger students are still more acclimated to hearing from the teacher rather than joining in a discussion.

As a presidency we have a right and a responsibility to get the revelation necessary to support teachers and classes (and families) in engaging in gospel learning. Our role is to be ministering to the gospel instructors in the ward.

Learn from chapter 10 of Preach My Gospel

President Livingston blessed us that as we study the life of Christ we will become better able to teach like Him. He also blessed us in our families with added capacity to beat the heavy burdens we each carry.

Afterward President Livingston sought me out to say that he understands that the burden is truly heavy.

When I walked out Ezra wasn’t there. Again I didn’t see him where the bunnies are and wondered if he had gotten bored and gone back to his class (which was over by then). I checked the church and then home only to find that he wasn’t at either place. After changing my clothes, Savannah and I drove back toward the church to look for him. We hadn’t even arrived when we saw him standing outside the church. His first words when he got to the car were “I think I may have played the fool.” When I asked what happened he explained that he had gone outside the stake offices to look at the bunnies and then done a little exploring and that when he came back to the building I wasn’t there. He was afraid that we had gone home and wouldn’t come looking for him – I think he was about to start walking home when he saw us.

We managed to get to Andy and Marsha’s house basically on time (30 minutes after church ended) and we had a nice evening with them without any obvious evidence of our crazy day.