Am I prepared?

This past week I had an interesting experience at school. Friday morning, I walked my students down to music class (taught by another 6th grade teacher), eagerly anticipating 40 minutes of "prep time." As I got to the door of his classroom, the teacher raced out and said, "I've had a family emergency. I need to go to the hospital. Do something for music."

It took me a few minutes to gather myself (I had the students listen to a story from www.storylineonline.net--love that site!), but I grabbed some copies of staff paper and started a lesson. By the end of the time, the students had learned some of the basics of reading music--the types of notes and the names of the notes. We had written rhythms and clapped them. Even though it was completely unprepared, I felt like it had been a successful lesson and would help the students when they started learning their instruments this year.

Later that weekend, when I finally had a quiet moment during stake conference, I reflected on that experience. It reminded me of the quotation by Thomas S. Monson, "When the time for performance arrives, the time for preparation is past." I thought back to the many hours, days, and even weeks I'd dedicated towards becoming a musician. My mind brought up memories of waking up early to practice before school, going to rehearsal after rehearsal, and the money my parents had invested in lessons. My hard work (and the dedication of so many teachers through the years) had brought me to this point, where on the spur of the moment I could teach basic music skills.

Then my thoughts wandered to the spiritual side of this lesson: If I was called upon spiritually without notice (a new calling, a friend in crisis, a new challenge in life....even death), would I be able to say that I felt somewhat prepared? Have I spent the time and dedication "practicing" and developing--reading my scriptures, praying, attending the temple, serving others? This was a humbling thought. I'm grateful that the atonement allows us to improve, because I certainly know I can. In my hectic day, I want to make sure I'm putting in the time so that, line upon line, when the moment arrives, I can feel more prepared. It can't happen all at once. It takes daily devotion. Now is the time...


P.S. I've also gotten the opportunity to work with a small group of flute players at school. It is so fun! I'm grateful for these chances to share my enjoyment of music. This week I'm teaching music again, but I'm prepared this time!