A Few Disappointments

For the past few years Cameron has told me that she wanted to be on student council when she was in sixth grade.  All summer she talked about the speech she would give and the posters she would make.  She had me sign the paper to say she was interested in participating the day she got it and turned it in right away to her teacher.  She was so excited.  At the same time she auditioned for one of the lead rolls in the Children's Theater performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Again, she talked all summer about being Veruca Salt, and she put everything she had into her audition.

She was supposed to find out about student council on Friday and the play the following Wednesday.  Friday afternoon she came home and said, "I didn't get it."  "You didn't get what?" I asked.  She said she didn't get chosen to be on student council.  I was shocked.  The reason is because the teachers actually choose who gets to be on student council and then the students vote for President, Vice President, and Secretary.  Cameron, my star student, outgoing, helpful, teachers pet daughter, did not get chosen by the teachers to be on Student Council.  To say she was devastated would be an understatement.  I held her in my arms and told her I was so, so sorry.

On Wednesday she came home from play practice and said she wasn't going to get to be Veruca Salt.  I was ready for the tears but instead she said she was excited because she got a different part that had four lines but allows her to be other characters in more scenes that include singing and dancing.  I was surprised at her good attitude and felt proud of her.

But little did I know just how proud of her I was really going to be.  The following Sunday she was sitting next to me in church.  Before the meeting began she opened her scriptures and asked me to read the following:

 23 For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you that the Lord God worketh not in ^adarkness.

 24 He doeth not ^aanything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he ^bloveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw ^call men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.

(2 nephi 26; 23-24)

She told me that Friday afternoon when she didn't make student council she went to her room so no one could see her cry.  She was really sad and didn't know what to do so she opened her scriptures.  She thought she would try what Joseph Smith did and open the scriptures randomly hoping to find an answer there.  She said the first time it didn't really work but on her second try she came across these verses and instantly felt like the Lord was telling her that he knows her, that he is in control of all things and that he has a plan for her and that maybe being on Student Council right now wasn't part of that plan.  She said she felt comforted and knew that everything would be alright.

A few weeks later her teacher was picking students to act in their class's Greek mythology play.  Again she came home and told me she wasn't chosen for one of the main parts.  I know she's feeling frustrated at all of her missed opportunities but once again she showed an amazing attitude by playing her part (a greek statue) very well and by helping others with their parts; decorations, scripts, etc.