Eagle Eye

Last July I was asked to be an auditor for my newly formed stake. It really was a question. The asker was a good friend and was sensitive to my health condition. I had no concerns about the understanding the audit process. I oversaw dozens of audits professionally, I’ve taken a college course in auditing, and when I was ward financial clerk, I survived several stake audits. So could I do it? Well, it doesn’t require speed or distance walking and I could probably schedule around the fatigue (or medicate.) There isn’t a whole lot of talking involved, so it was down to the vision. Could I see well enough to do it? You have to be able to see small numbers printed on paper.

Brimming with faith, I told him I didn’t know. I was willing to try, and if I couldn’t do it (or could not do it well enough) I would let him know. I was assigned three wards; surely I could do three measly audits.

I found the actual audits to be challenging. Seeing the numbers was difficult, but I could do it. It just took a little extra time and effort. Conducting the interviews with the bishops was hard. Talking can be so difficult at times. When I finished the last one I decided that I was done auditing. I was just so tired and it was so hard on me. For pity’s sake, surely there were 50 men out there that could do audits as well as I and for whom it would require far less effort. Honestly! Maybe a lot more than 50. 100? 200?

However, the audits are done only twice a year so I decided to wait and see. I’m glad I did, not because my vision, voice or stamina have improved but because I have realized that “the question” is not whether someone else could do the audits with less difficulty but whether or not I could do them. Period.

If “work” always went to the most able, I would never do anything (except maybe write.) I can’t live my life like that. Performing audits is hard, harder than it should be; I’ll give that to you, but so is making the bed and taking out the trash. These little tasks aren’t that hard, but I still do them, and it makes me happy to contribute. Sure, for others it would be way easier, but there is a positive correlation between work and happiness. I’m glad that Kara lets me do little stuff around here and I’m glad that my church leaders are not afraid to err on the side of giving me too much.

Yesterday I did the year-end audits for two units. Different from last time, I did them in the morning which helps. I could see the numbers with less difficulty and I wasn’t tired. One clerk mentioned to his bishop that I have “an eagle eye” as I happened to spot (and inquire after) all their “irregularities.” If he only knew.  (But let's keep that between us.)