First Impressions

This week I have been thinking about first impressions.  I am the receptionist at a foot and ankle clinic.  I am the face of the business although Chad does all the work;)  From the moment a new patient calls in to set up an appointment, I try to make sure I am as professional as can be.  Once they come in to the clinic, I also do my best to be warm and welcoming.  I try to get our grumpier patients to crack a little smile or smirk before Chad sees them.  My job is to make sure that beginning from first impressions, our patients are treated in a respectful and professional manner.  

I have found myself wishing that as members of the church we too would pay more attention to first impressions.  For months I have been ignoring the prompting to invite my two teen nephews to church.  Their dad has two wives and I didn't want anyone to feel awkward.  Bishop Hawkes actually told us that he would love it if Joe's brother showed up with both wives and all the kids.  Well, I finally got the courage to open my mouth and late Saturday night last week I invited my two nephews to church stating that after all, now we meet in the afternoon;)  I thought it was a great selling point.  Sunday morning was a little crazy.  I got called last minute to lead the music in sacrament so I sat up front.  Kristen sat with the Hawkes a row behind Joe.  Will was passing the sacrament so he was sitting with the deacons and teachers which left Joe sitting by himself.

Unbeknownst to me, Joe's brother and my two nephews had come to church!  They didn't tell us they were coming so we weren't expecting them.  When they peeked in the chapel, they couldn't see us sitting as a family so they sat out in the foyer.  They were able to listen to half of the first talk which they enjoyed but then the other ward got out.  Now I'm not judging the other ward's behavior because they had already been there for three hours and were ready to go home.  But the volume of the chatter got so loud that our visitors could no longer hear anything going on in the chapel.  The young men were eating cupcakes after class and the level of reverence quickly diminished.  My brother-in-law and nephews did not receive a good first impression... so they left:(  Fortunately, on their way home they stopped at a  Christian non-denominiational worship service down the road where Joe's other brother was leading the congregation in singing and worshipping Jesus.  There, they felt welcome.  There they were able to feel the spirit.  There they found what they had been hoping to find in our ward...Jesus.

When I found out later that evening, I was frustrated that they hadn't texted us or even just sat on their own in the back of the chapel.  Surely, I would have seen them.  But then I quickly realized that nobody was to blame.  It is what it is.  I received a prompting.  I followed the prompting.  I just wish we could have given them  better first impression.  I am thankful for all the missionaries serving out there who are responsible for giving that first impression to those seeking the Savior in their lives.  You are all doing an amazing job of showing what it is to be a disciple of Christ!  My prayer is that as members, we can do a better job to support the role you already are doing so well.  From now on I will try to be more reverent because you never know if you are making a first impression on someone coming to church for the first time.  I hope and pray that my nephews will come again but I understand if they choose not to based on what they observed.  My hope is that anyone who walks through our chapel doors will be able to find Jesus as we gather to worship:)  Keep working hard!
love, mamajessop