Magnified

I cannot remember names to save me. I've been in my ward for two months now and still have barely learned the names of the people in my FHE group. (Actually, that's an exaggeration. The other day I talked to someone who was in my group and I had no idea who he was, let alone his name.) I know; I am terrible. I really try though, I promise, but to no avail. I have always been this way; names and I just don't mix. I was lamenting this weakness on my walk home from school yesterday and thinking if perhaps I prayed really hard or visited every apartment twice a day, I might possibly learn some people's names, but after the following observation, I determined that such would be a waste if time.

At the start of last year, I determined to change my anti-social habits and actually meet people. I felt a strong prompting to get to know the others in my ward (especially the girls) to prepare myself for some specific service. So I complied. I prayed for courage (and TONS of help in remembering people) and went to the work of memorizing everyone's names, faces, and any other information about them. AND IT WORKED! I was so amazed! Shortly after the start of the semester, I was called to be in the Relief Society presidency in my ward (not a surprise as I had felt that such a calling might be coming my way - the purpose for learning people's names). The other sisters in the presidency were so impressed that I knew everyone, where they lived, and often times specifics about their personal lives. I'm not saying this to brag, as will be seen, but it was a fact that I was well in touch with the girls in our ward. I loved serving in the Relief Society (I was incredibly inadequate to serve on my own strength and was overwhelmed a lot of the time, but I loved the blessing of serving none-the-less). Anyhow, time went on, and I made an effort to visit every apartment at least once each week. If I had an announcement to deliver, I NEVER just stuck it on the door, I always made sure to talk to at least one person in the apartment. I was shocked by my own ability to relate to the girls; I thought, "Wow, I really can be a social person if I want to be, people like me and I'm friendly. Odd. Plus, I remember their names, even more odd." Then I got released and moved to Orem for the summer. I didn't visit the apartments very often, even though I was in the ward, so I wasn't shocked that I didn't know anyone's names. I figured I'd do it again once fall started and I was back in with a ward.

So now here I am, and I'm failing miserably at the name thing (and pretty much everything about the friendliness thing). It's not for lack of trying either, I make it a point to personally talk to people when I deliver notices, I sit next to someone different every week at church. I ask EVERYONE for their names, and I scour the ward picture directory over meals. And yet, the names just aren't coming. I don't get it. Or I didn't. Then one day it hit me: AHA! I'm no good at names; I never have been, and I probably never will be. So how did I do it last year? You can probable guess the answer to that question on your own.

But just in case you haven't figured it out by now, the moral of this story is, as we do our part to magnify the callings we are given, the Lord will magnify US within the realm of our responsibilities. It was my calling then; it's not now, so I don't get the help because it's not necessary. I get plenty of help and blessings in other areas, but that was a specific blessing for a specific time, and that time is now up. "Whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies."