Why Visiting Teaching?

This is a program that you love it, or you hate it.

I love it. And, I'll tell you why. Through college, I really didn't have much to do with it. I had my list, if my companion called and set something up, I'd go if I could. I was just too busy. I avoided my visiting teachers calls, and brushed it off, because I just didn't see why I should bother with it. Once, I remember my visiting teachers coming over and talking to me at the New Year's Dance, at precisely the stroke of midnight. They counted it for both months.

Then, one year, I was working at the Disney Store at Christmas time. Can you imagine? Grown women fighting over toys, yelling, cussing, fighting. No, really. I once broke up a fight between two women who were using their strollers to attack each other, baby still in it. On this particular day, I had put in about 14 hours. My feet hurt. I was supposed to be done, but someone hadn't shown up, and I was still there. It was my birthday, and I wasn't too happy about how I was spending it. The store was jam-packed. From the back of the store, I saw a face I recognized from church. And, then, that face broke out into song. There were my visiting teachers (yes, the ones who I never answered the phone for) holding cupcakes, with lit candles, singing happy birthday to me. They couldn't actually get to me, because I was at the register, and there were long lines. So, the whole store heard it. I'll never forget the picture of that chaotic Disney store, and this college student holding a box of cupcakes way above her head, singing.

My manager came over and asked if I knew them. Ah, a moment of truth. Do I claim it? I was embarassed, but I had this suspicion that they would keep it up until they managed to get over to me. I admitted that I (kind of) knew them. He told me to go on break. I was so relieved, and happy, and I could have hugged them. I did hug them, and I don't hug people very often. I found out that they had gone to my house first, and finding that I was still at work, had come to the store. They drove 30 mins to get to my house, and 25 mins further to get to my work. They said they just felt I needed them that day. They were right. Not that I couldn't have finished out my day. Not that I was in desperate need of assistance. It wasn't that I was in that horrible of a state. But, it was one of those moments where you realize that God loves you enough to send a message to you. He wanted to just let me know that He was aware of me, and knew I was tired.

My heart softened towards the program, and I decided to give it a shot. Year after year, my committment varied, but I didn't reject the program as much.

Then, married and pregnant, and new to the ward, I had a visiting teacher who religiously (hahaha) visited me, with a lesson. She was due with her first baby 5 months before me. We both had our first Sunday in the ward on the same day. We grew close, and she stayed my visiting teacher for years. We served in callings together, had playgroups, visited each other in the hospital. When I had a sick baby, and had to stay at the hospital, she knew exactly what book to bring me to read. We discussed parenting decisions, we have both sat at each other's house and cried about stresses in our life. She has been there, more times than I can count, to strengthen me when I really needed it. I eventually moved out of the ward, after we had both had our second children, also 5 months apart. We are still close friends. All of our kids are only a few months apart. We have always been pregnant at the same time. She's just one of those friends that God gives you because He knows you need her, and she needs you.

And, I finally got it. I got a testimony of it. I get why Heavenly Father gave us visiting teaching.

Last Saturday night, we had Relief Society Broadcast. And, visiting teaching was emphasized. But, so were individuals, the people. Yes, it's a program. Yes, programs can be hard to run, and can become about numbers and not people. If the people our lost, though, the program is useless. The program is a vehicle. Think of a bus system. If they put a bus system where no one ever needed to go, what good would it do? You'd be wasting time and energy on it. But, a bus system, used properly can be efficient and a blessing in the lives of many people.

Today, I needed my visiting teacher. And, she came through for me. I got hit with a massive migraine. My husband came home, and I vaguely remember having a conversation with him where he told me he had to get back to work, and I told him I couldn't function. Later, I heard something going on downstairs, and dragged myself down there. My visiting teacher was there, folding my laundry. She had come over, fed the kids, had them playing quietly, and was folding laundry for me. She shooed me back to bed, and I didn't wake up for some time.

Thank goodness for a program that allows us to look out for one another, that gives the Lord an avenue for making life-long friendships, and that can be a blessing in our lives.