I love Relief Society

I really do love Relief Society.  I always have, I think.  My experience this evening shows one reason why I love it.  

Tonight was our ward enrichment night, and I was debating about showing up.  I mean, I've only lived here for a week and only attended church once.  Also, Gerald was gone at night class which meant I would have to take Katelee with me.  And I was grumpy from a long two days of hardly any Gerald and a disobedient three-year-old.  I hadn't showered yet at 5 p.m. and I was in the middle of a sewing project.  But I've always loved enrichment and Relief Society, so I finally jumped in the shower and brushed Katelee's hair and we went.

I felt shy and a bit nervous when I first entered the room, but the nice sister I sat next to started a conversation right up.  Then as we sang the opening song, I had the best feeling; it felt like I was home.  The night was a huge service project for a Women's Shelter in the area.  There were about five different projects going on, but I ended up sewing burp clothes together.  Immediately I was chatting with the two other sisters who were sewing as though we had been friends forever. 

Before the night was over, I had sewed about 15 burp clothes and met twice as many women, of all ages and backgrounds.  I think every person in the room came over to talk to me sometime during the evening.  They were genuinely interested in me, and were promising to tell their friends that I teach piano lessons and they knew so-and-so out in Utah, did I know them too?

This is why I love Relief Society.  This is really what Relief Society is all about.  You move to a state you've never even been in before, and you have an immediate support group of wonderful, talented, amazing women who really care about you.   And you are given instant meaningful opportunities to help serve and look out for others.  

Membership in the Relief Society is such a huge blessing; I'm really not sure where I would be without it.  I've always felt that I took a very active part in Relief Society, but tonight I feel as though I need to be even more grateful for having this in my life.