Be Still and Happy Anniversary!


Today marks the anniversary of Grace and Grit's first blog post (you can read it here). In some ways it is hard for me to accept a year has passed already, but in other ways I feel like I've been a shelter house manager for years. My desire to be here is just as strong, if not stronger, than it was a year ago today!

A few of you have asked me how I feel about my job, "now that the shine has worn off." Well, there have been days when I've come home and needed to be alone to process an experience or to come to terms with a mom's choice that I thought was wrong. There are days I've had my plans thrown out the window because someone had a crises of some kind (ER visits, moms in labor, emotional breakdowns, new moms arriving, families leaving unexpectedly, court appearances, bike's and wallets being stolen, kids going missing, earthquakes, power outages, etc, etc, etc). There have been days I've cried, I've felt my heart break, I've been angry, I've been overwhelmed, I've faced darkness, I've misunderstood, I've been wrong, I've struggled with pride, and I've even burned dinner.

But....
I still know I'm called to be here,
I still love what I do,
I'm still growing,
I still see miracles happening,
I still love each and every mother and child that walks through the door,
I still have a lot to learn,
I am still amazed I get paid to do this job, and
I still believe God is good, all the time.


Here but by the grace of God go I.
I cannot wait to see what this next year is going to be like!!!

Lord, you are my God;
I will honor you and praise your name.
You have done amazing things;
you have faithfully carried out
the plans you made long ago.
The poor and the helpless have fled to you
and have been safe in times of trouble.
You give them shelter from storms
and shade from the burning heat.
- Isaiah 25:1,4



Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 31, 2012 at 7:50 AM

    "I've even burned dinner."

    Hahahaha. :)

    Love that you are exactly where God has placed you, and where he has designed you to be.

    ReplyDelete
  2. iamwindandfireOctober 31, 2012 at 2:30 PM

    Ditto for Sarah's comment! Love the way God loves and guides his kids! Love and blessings as you begin a new year with The Sheepfold Joanna Joy!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Oysters

Image
A little while ago we had a new mom come to the shelter. She and her 5 year old son were homeless, with nothing to their names but a trash bag of clothes and an old kid's backpack. The son was happy, easy-going, and had a silver-toothed smile that lit up a room. I loved him instantly. His mom was a private person who was not accustomed to the structure and accountability The Sheepfold had. Her first night was especially difficult (which is common for most new families) and conversation around the dinner table was awkward. I tried to draw her into conversation, but didn't get anywhere. I wanted so badly to put her at ease, but nothing worked. When I'm working I try to make meal time engaging for the kids, keeping conversations light-hearted and requiring them to use their imaginations. I have so many great and hilarious memories of the crazy things that have come out of some of these kid's mouths. It's so ridiculously fun that sometimes I marvel at the fact that I ...
Read more

Ebenezer, Part 2

Image
...Many of you who know me know that for the past 15 years I've been interested in working with at-risk populations. I felt especially drawn to juvenile delinquents, foster children, and grieving children who've lost an immediate family member. I had many opportunities to volunteer within these groups; Comfort Zone Camp, AWANA, OC Youth Guidance Center, Juvenile Hall, Babysitting, Character First, Rancho Santa Marta Orphanage, YUGO Zapata, Guatemala City, Bernal, Mexico City, Singapore... to name a few of the memorable ones. :-) Yet for all the volunteer opportunities I still felt like I was missing out on something! I wanted more and I wanted it full-time. Although I had a full-time job that was challenging I looked forward to my volunteer night and weekend jobs to carry me through the everyday 9-5. I do not regret my time spent in a cubicle, especially now that it seems it's already been ages ago! But it was disappointing to search and search for a full-time job in my ...
Read more

Desecration, Power Outages, and Throat Coat

Image
So I couldn't get to sleep at a decent hour tonight. I had a persistent scratchy throat that resulted in a cough every few minutes which was just enough to keep me awake. I know, you're already asking yourself why I would bother with a post like this one. Especially considering it's still the middle of the night and I have to be up in less than 4 hours. Trust me, I have a point. Since I couldn't sleep I was keeping my mind occupied with a book (Desecration by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins). I was becoming frustrated because I was (am still) tired and I don't feel sick, just a scratchy throat. Around 1am I was still reading and coughing when the light on the bed stand went out. I tapped it and twisted it and it came back on so I finished reading my chapter, assuming there was a loose connection somewhere. Finally, I had enough and turned out the light to at least let my eyes rest. After a few minutes I remembered that there is a fantastic medicinal tea in the ...
Read more