Here’s what I mean –

Shortly after Kyle and I were married, we moved wards, and I was called as Ward Choir Director.

We were brand new in the ward, and I remember the member of the bishopric kind of laughing as he extended the calling and saying, “You are probably feeling very under-qualified and overwhelmed by this call, but I know the Lord will help you fulfill it.”

And I sighed a bit as I shared just a short list of my musical background and assured him I felt just fine accepting the calling.

The truth was, though, I was disappointed in the calling.

I wanted to be able to teach the gospel. To be in Young Women’s, or Primary. To interact with other strong women and create goodness together. To plan fun events and learn gospel principles together. To make friends in this new ward.

Not to beg people to come to choir practice all by myself.

But I fulfilled the duties that were outlined in my calling.

I did them grudgingly, but I did them. The choir rehearsed and performed on schedule. The songs sounded pretty good. We grew our participation numbers.

But I had such a prideful attitude about it.

After a full year of this calling, General Conference rolled around. And sure enough, there was a talk about serving with real intent in our hearts.

Some pride in my heart started to soften as I realized that I had been “serving” by fulfilling my checklist duties, but my heart was not being fed or changed by my service.

I knew I needed to make a dramatic change in order to root out the pride and anger. I wanted to become more Christlike, but I wasn’t quite sure how.

So I thought, “How can I be the best Choir Director I could possibly be?!”

And then I got to work.

I had that calling for another year and a half, and I found true joy in it. I made good friends who were choir members and accompanists. I was overcome with the Spirit while conducting performances of a simple 8-person, 2-part choir.

I finally felt like I was serving my ward members, and I finally felt like I was serving the Lord.

I’m really good at tricking my mind into thinking that if I just go through the actions, I’m doing what’s required of me.

But nothing counts as much as the intent.

Are we serving, giving, loving with pure intent in our hearts? Or are we doing it grudgingly?

After 2 1/2 transformative years in that calling, we moved. I was grateful for the lesson I had learned, and was ready to jump into a new calling in my new ward “all in”, with pure intent.

My new calling in my new ward?

Ward Choir Director.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Ward Choir Director first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.