The Calling That Became A Stage of Healing

In our faith congregations everything is volunteer, meaning we don’t get paid, but we don’t pick our “job”; we are asked or called to do different duties.

Sometimes we are asked to jobs that are super up our skill set, like when I’m asked to be a greeter. I’m so stinking good at that assignment I do it even if it’s not my current calling.

Other times we are given a calling like when I was called at 25 years old to serve as the Young Women’s president, I was so intimidated that I wouldn’t be good at it. As I had missed much of that in my own teen years (I managed my parents’ household helping my mom finish college, went to school, and working full time to pay all my own bills and often groceries for my family), I seldom had time to attend teen things. Yet in my first week as the Young Women’s president, I had an overwhelming love for the girls I had been called to serve.

It has been the same for me in the nursery. I just felt love, like flooding gushy love for these little ones. Teaching them the basics like: God loves everyone. Our bodies are gifts. The pure truth basics.

Had I been called to serve in the nursery after my Katelynn’s death, I don’t think I could have done it. That I was called when I was, it felt like a stage of healing had been reached. I was good at this call because I had baby loves to give. I never reached my “kid” limit.

Sadly after 4 years of serving in nursery I was “released” from that calling. It wasn’t my choice, but they feel I’ve served there long enough, I cried. It’s a high reward/low time commitment responsibility and I’ve loved it.

I also do speeches for the youth as well as for women’s groups so getting to serve quietly in the nursery has been a gift.

Our greatest asset as a society is our children. As cliché as it is, they are the future. I’ve gotten to see kids go from crying toddlers to high fiving grade schoolers. It’s been an honor and a gift to my arms that never felt full enough.