As you will recall, I was born in the East, and there is where my first recollection is of any religous education I received. We lived in Greensberg, Pennsylvania so I would have to have been around four years old at the time. The family, which means my brothers and myself went to a big Christian Church at the end of the Street we lived on. Or that is the way I remember it. We would walk to Church on Sunday mornings. I don't really recall the sermons, etc. however. What I do recall is they had Daily Vacation Bible School. There were tables that I sat at and we did all kinds of fun projects and learned the Stories from the Bible. I was fun being with the kids my age, and enjoying the classes.
We moved to California in 1935 where I attended Church with my Grand Father; who was Episcopalian. I don't recall the boys going, but I loved to go and set with Grand Father and hear him sing. He was a Tenor and had a wonderful voice. In fact, as I believe I have stated before, sang on the Radio for a time.
When Dad and Mom bought the house on Belgrave Avenue we, the boys and I, attended the little Church down the Street from us. It wasn't very big, but it too had Daily Vacation Bible School. I was 8 years old by then, and took a great interest in the things that were being taught. The Boys had made friends with Johnny Strong who had a shop around the corner from the Church where he sold Tennis Rackets. The shop was right across the street from some of the Tennis Courts at Huntington Park High School. Johnny hand strung the rackets and both the boys were fascinated by all he did. In fact, I believe both of them learned how to do it, and strung their own rackets. They would keep their rackets in a "press" so everything stayed in shape. We all played Tennis. After all, we lived right across from some of the other Courts at the High School. They would light them at night, so there was always some place to play, day or night.
But back to Daily Vacation Bible School. I believe most Christian Churchs have something that would follow along the same guide lines. They were planned for days when children were not in regular school. It was a perfect fill in for Summer as I recall. It lasted two weeks, and there were a lot of things I learned there that have helped me, even since I join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). The Stories of the Bible have always been interesting to me, and I guess the basics that I learned in those various Summers has served me well in all the things I have studied and taught over the years.
Those young ladies who took the time to make up all the crafts we did and gave us so lovingly of their time, did not go un-noticed. Unfortunately I don't remember any of their names, but I do remember the things they taught me. Things that stayed with me when I was young and througout my teen years as well. Ground work that was helpful when I finally found the True Church and finally committed to being Baptized. Something that I had avoided until I was 23 years old. Now that was a long wait.
What one of the things those Summer Classes taught me, I believe, was dedication. When you take on a job, be dedicated and give it the very best you have. Of course my Dad and Mother taught me that as well. It was only reinforced by the other lessons I was able to learn.
I believe I was influenced by Johnny Strong as well. I spent a goodly amount of time with the boys in that shop. He was a wonderful young man. I think he and his wife took the three of us in because we were pretty much on our own when it came to Church attendance. Mom would come when and if one of us had a part on the Sunday program, other than that she wasn't a regular goer. Dad, well, he never attended - period. I guess you could say he was the first one to teach me something very solid about 'having your feelings hurt, or other wise effected' by something someone did or said at or about Church. Maybe that is why I am so hard headed when it comes to such things. For me, no one can 'run' me out. I may choose to leave, but in doing so, I only hurt myself. For the one thing I have learned over the years is, I am working out MY OWN Salvation and that means my staying is to keep me moving in the right direction. If someone else would vary my course, I would be the loser, not them. Soooo, I don't let what others do or say move me in that kind of a direction. Now, that does not mean in anyway that my feelings have not been hurt, or stepped on, from time to time but I can't let those things keep me from achieving my Eternal Goal. If I fall short, it is because I choose to fall short, not because I got side tracked by someone elses stupidity. I have never expected everyone to like me, and am not the least bit upset to find someone who doesn't. After all I have such feelings myself. I don't let them bother me and I hope I don't, on the other hand, bother them. My concern is that I am 'square' with the Lord. When I have made every determination that I am in the right with the Priesthood and the Lord, I can carry on. The hurt will go away if I don't 'feed it'. If I have been wrong, there is always repentance and seeking forgiveness for anything that might have been done in ignorance or non-intent. You can't always know how things are taken by others. We make the necessary adjustments and then we have to carry on. It is not the amount of times we stumble that count, it is the times we have the strength to get up, dust outselves off and keep moving that count. When we cease to move in the right direction we are sure to have missed the path, and set our goal further from our reach. There is not enough time to do those kinds of things. We need to keep striving to achieve. It is not how fast we go, but how steady we are in our pursuit.
It has been wisely said: "If you don't care where you are headed, it does not matter where you end up." I care where I am going, and have hope I will end up where I have been striving to be. Families are forever, and I certainly have been attached to a pretty wonderful bunch of folks, I would hate to miss when I arrive where I have set my course for.
I believe that those Daily Vacation Bible School classes were the beginning of the path I have been on all these years. I am greatful for all they added to my life. I am pleased to have been taught principles that have carried me over the rough spots of youth and grounded me well enough to not commit myself until I had arrived at the right place to make my commitment. I see new meaning in the words: "by simple things - are things made strong". Blessings not realized, but certainly not overlooked. 'I must have done SOMETHING good?' When, where, is not the question, but BECAUSE it is the way the Lord looks after us. When others may not see us, as we REALLY are, HE never misses it. This is very humbling. No wonder I Loved Daily Vacation Bible School!
Written this 13th day of August 2010
by: Eileen Rosenberg
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