Primary Program!

Today was the Primary Program. (For those who may not know what that means--the children ages 3 through 11 share a program for church in front of the entire congregation.) The last two Sundays and this past Saturday were all used to practice and prepare. As the chorister, I had those 6 hours (two each session) to listen to them sing and wonder just how we were going to do. The 9, 10, and 11 year olds had been reluctant to share their voices at all during the practices, and the younger children have been fairly quiet anyway. I worried. How were the families in the very back going to be able to hear anything? We have learned songs all year to be ready for this, and I knew that they had learned them. I tried to encourage them to sing out for the program, but didn't seem to get any response. I worked through it in my mind and tried to figure out a solution. I tried writing out a few messages I could share with them at the beginning of the songs today, and took those along, as unexcited about the messages as I was.

I was able to get out the door on time this morning, and got to church a bit early. Even with a side track from a member of the bishopric, I was able to go in and find that my children had found a good seat and sat down reverently. I checked to make sure I had everything I needed to be able to lead the music for the program, and then I took some deep breaths and relaxed. It would happen as it happened.

The time came for the children to take their seats up front, and I found my seat in front of them. After the first few speaking parts, I picked up the first 'poster' to remind the children of the song we were singing. I directed them to stand, the music started, and they began singing. And how they sang! What wondrous sound. It filled my heart and then some. I listened to them sing about how Heavenly Father gave us families "to help us become what He wants us to be" and felt the Spirit testifying of the truths in the song. The rest of the program followed suit. Each song was sung perhaps the best of the whole year. My little notes never came out. They weren't needed. The only problem came when I reflected back on that pre-meeting sidetrack, I realized that this was, in many ways, my final, an ending. I wouldn't be singing with them each week anymore. That would now be someone else's privilege. The tears threatened to come several times as I stood, directing them, listening to their testimonies of Christ and his gospel, feeling the strength of those testimonies, knowing I was passing that on to someone else next week.

The closing song was "I Believe in Christ." The children were to sing the first verse, then the congregation was to join them for the 4th verse. I was to lead both. The first verse began strong and full. I handed the 4th verse reminder poster to one of the children and turned around to lead the congregation. The organist joined us at that point, the children continued strong, and the congregation added to the fulness. My heart was filled to overflowing with the testimony of Jesus Christ as my Savior, of his love for each of us, of the blessings of the gospel. The testimonies of that many wonderful people strengthened my testimony, and I was filled. What a neat day to have as my last day as Primary chorister (at least for now). One more evidence of God's love for me. :-)