The Path.

Within two weeks, I will become the Board President for Family Support Services. While I was honored to be chosen to serve, I hadn't really thought deeply about what this service really meant to me. That all changed in an instant at the Christmas dinner last night, as I listened to the testimonials of the outgoing president, featured client and volunteer. I realized that God has led me to this post for a reason - not only for the agency, but for myself.

You see, I understand what so many of the clients feel. I was that 3 year old girl, stepping off a plane from Boston with my mother who was carrying two suitcases containing our only worldly possessions. Without the support of my aunt, we would have needed the help of the shelter. Without the inexpensive items at Goodwill and on the "sale (or soon to expire) rack" at the grocery store, we would have needed the help of the local food pantry.

As a college student dealing with the pain of my past and the uncertainty of my future, I reached out for counseling services. Services, I believe, saved my life. You see, I was also thinking of why ending it all was a better option than living.

And as a young adult, I felt the pain of abuse. I hid the bruises from family and friends. I felt the extreme shame, because you see, I was headed down a successful career path. These things shouldn't be happening to me. I shouldn't have let them happen to me. 

My pain and my experiences were short-lived and nothing compared to what our clients have experienced, but I felt it, lived it, nonetheless. I am thankful now that God prepared me to empathize with those we serve. I'm thankful for the path...and excited for the future ahead.

**originally posted December 13, 2011