Bishoping (Bishopping?)

Today Jim was sustained and set apart as the bishop of the Oceanside 4th Ward.  Jimmy Silverstein (relatively new in the ward) and Derrick Karner are his counselors.  It's a young crew; at 41, Jim is the oldest of the bunch.  The outgoing bishop, Bishop Shirley, would have hit his five-year mark in February.  His departure from the bishopric was hastened as follows:  RQ Shupe has been serving as the second counselor in the stake presidency but is leaving next month for a mission in Africa.  Bishop Shirley was called to take his place in the stake presidency.  Jim was called to replace Bishop Shirley. 

We met with the stake president about a week and a half ago.  Jim and I theorized beforehand about what the call might be, but we didn't discuss the possibility of his being the bishop of our ward.  When President Pynes told me the calling they had prayed about and had had confirmed that they should extend to Jim was that of bishop of the Oceanside 4th Ward, I said, "Seriously?  Seriously?"  I repeated it enough, and fervently enough, that President Pynes felt compelled to say, "Yes, I'm serious." 

Jim asked his friend Pablo (Paul Peters) to ordain him to the office of high priest.  Pablo came to our building after sacrament meeting and gave Jim a nice blessing.  He seemed to feel humbled by Jim's invitation to perform the ordination and was very sweet.  He told me afterward that Jim was the person he looked up to when they were in the Del Mar Fourth Branch together because Jim was always so solid.

People expected me to be emotional today, but I wasn't - maybe because I don't know what to expect.  Jim is taking it all in stride and doesn't want a big deal made of it.  It's just a calling, and everybody has a calling, he says.  But it carries a lot of responsibility and will require a lot of time.  I'm grateful for his willingness to serve and have already seen blessings in our family because of the call.