I was talking to my best friend from graduate school earlier this week and we realized that it was 15 years ago this summer that we walked across that stage with our Master’s in social work (MSW not MRS degree- we had both thought we would have been married at that time!) and jumped into the real world. I remember never being so glad to get a piece of paper in my life and didn’t care to read another book or write another paper ever.
I always knew I wanted to be a social worker and my call to ministry at age 17 confirmed that but I had no idea what that would look like. I knew that social work was a piece of that calling and I attempted to go to seminary after college but God made it very clear that was not part of His plan. I went to LSU and got my MSW, unsure of what to do next. Shortly after that, I packed up my bags and moved 200 miles away from home, not having any idea what the next 5, much less 15 years would look like. I took my first job at a state hospital in Monroe, LA and immediately wondered what I had gotten myself into- I was so green and naive! Because it was working for the state, I couldn’t share my faith openly with my patients. While working at the hospital, I began tutoring for the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home. I tutored a little boy in 5th grade math, which is funny because if you know me, math is not my strong point at all. I soon learned that there was an opening for a social worker position and immediately applied. A few months later, I left the hospital and began working at the children’s home. It was truly my dream job- as a child, my church supported the children’s home and I always wanted to work there one day.
Looking back, I think I had this picture of ministry in my mind and it had to look a certain way. LBCH quickly changed that picture and I realized that ministry is real life, dealing with people and messy things, all while pointing to Jesus. I worked with children who had experienced trauma and often suffered because of poor choices of other people. I was able to do all kind of different things there and it ultimately led to finding my “sweet spot” in social work: adoption and foster care. I traveled overseas twice to help with orphanage work and got to be a part of the groundbreaking for a new ministry in Haiti. I stayed there for 12 years- so hard to leave because I literally grew up in that job: bought a house, met and married my husband, became a mom. I never expected to stay so long and it was so hard to leave but when you’re married to a pastor, you go where God says “Go.” (even if it means living in the middle of nowhere with cows for neighbors!)
Ministry looks different in every situation and in every season. It’s sitting on the floor of my office, singing “Jesus Loves Me” to a sweet little girl who had never heard those words and suffered physical abuse at the hands of her mother. It’s talking to an adoptive mother at 10pm reassuring her that their new baby boy was safe at the hospital and no one could just come take him. It’s sitting all day at the hospital with a foster parent as their foster child underwent major brain surgery. It’s sitting in a courtroom for four hours praying that God would reveal truth and the judge would make the right decision for an adoption. (and boy did He do a miracle that day!) It’s having an open couch so that teachers can just breathe and talk. It’s so many different things. It’s spending the afternoon crafting with a friend, just talking about life.
I have often asked myself “Is it worth it? You can go somewhere else and make way more money.” I certainly don’t do this for the money and God truly called me to it so I have to trust that He will provide. It isn’t about the money, the letters behind your name, the title or position. It’s about loving people right where they are and right where you are. So here’s to another 15 years!