I'm Not Old Enough

Tonight was our stake's 'Priesthood Preview'. I would not have known what this was- or much less known this occurred if it weren't for the fact that CASEY WAS INVITED! I can't believe were are almost there. I remember back when he was born thinking, "When I'm 32, I'll have a deacon!" But I feel like I have been stuck in a time warp. Surley, not that many years have past. I don't feel old enough. It seems like just yesterday I was thinking this same thing about his baptism. And now, in just four short months, he will receive the priesthood. I worry that he will be a squirrly little deacon squirming on the front pew. But as he sat, tonight, on the front row with all his fellow pre-deacon friends, my fears were calmed. I have known most of these boys since kindergarten and every one of them displayed a sense of reverence for the things being said. Sitting on the stand were current deacons on one side, and return missionaries on the other. Every deacon wore a white shirt and tie and every RM wore a suit. The deacons sang "I Hope they Call Me on a Mission" and "Armies of Helaman" their voices not yet changed. Then the RM's stood and sang, "Called to Serve". Wow. I was in awe. How much they grow up in those few short years. From a little shaggy-haired boy to a clean-cut man. The contrast was amazing. I am not ready for the coming years. If the next 11 years go half as fast as the past 11 it will be too soon. I am terrified of the challenges that lie ahead and the temptations he'll face. But as the Stake President made them promise to strive toward a mission, I knew that he too, will someday stand and sing, "Called to Serve".