The angel of the Lord said to Daniel: "Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard and I have come in response to them." Daniel 10:12 Well...it's official. This past Thursday was my last day of work as a substance abuse therapist. It was a bitter-sweet day for me. For the past 10 years, I have worked in the mental health field. I have been a therapist for over 6 years. I am so thankful for the opportunities that God gave me. I asked Him years ago to give me an understanding of who He really was. And when I think about what I learned from the people I met, I well up with tears. When I first began my career, I had no knowledge about drugs or the people who were addicted to them. No knowledge and no compassion. They simply did not fit my 'criteria' for needing help. After all, they should just "stop using drugs" right? Little did I know how God would humble me and place me right in the middle of the lives of addicts. My feelings of the first day of my job as a substance abuse therapist were vastly different than the feelings of my last day. As I left my work on my first day working with addiction all those years ago, I cried. I cried because I told God I didn't want to do this. I felt inadequate and wanted to do something else. But as I watched my clients leave the parking lot on my last day of work this past Thursday, I cried because of the love God allowed me to feel for these people. For you see, He answered the question I had asked so many years ago of who He really was. And when I looked into the faces of my clients, I was looking into His face as well. I think we forget those who are struggling and broken. I think we forget that they need God and are just as eager, if not more, to meet Him. And to meet Him is to meet Him through those that know Him. This is what my ministry is all about. I walked away from a career of 10 years simply because God told me too. This is no reflection of greatness on my part by no means. This is what I'm supposed to do anyway...if I believe the King I say that I love. But even though I am not sure exactly what is going to take place in my life now, I do take comfort in the verse above. I trust the fact that since the very first day that I set my mind to following His will and knowing who God really is, my words were heard by Him. Please pray for me as I plant my feet firmly in His will for my life. I hope you will allow Him to be as real to you as He has been to me... Love, Corrie My prayer for today: Lord, help me to remember my purpose on this earth. Help me to love those who don't know you. Help me to walk in your ways and humble myself to give everything back to you. Help me to give my first fruits and not my leftovers. For you gave your entire life for me....
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
My dear sweet Corrie Beth, I cannot read this entry without many tears and numerous memories. I love you so much and have watched you grow up from a smart, pretty, "only" girl in the family to a mature woman of God, but I have never been more proud of you than I am now, after having read some of these entries. When you were choosing a career, I really took little notice of anything special about the choice. Now, after all the events in our family over the last few years, everything makes sense, like pieces of a puzzle being put together. I know you are aware of the numerous prayers being offered on your behalf from so many Christian brothers and sisters everywhere. I knew last week would be especially hard and I prayed for you to have strength and peace throughout the entire process. There are many scriptures which come to mind when I think about the circumstances in your life and your walk with the Lord, but one (that we have talked about before) seems to sum it up. Isaiah 30:21 says that your ears shall hear a voice behind them saying "This is the way, walk in it." You were listening and more importantly, you obeyed. Our Lord Jesus is surely smiling on his beloved. You know how I feel about this storm you are in and the outcome. 2Corinthians 1:9-12 tells us that "Indeed in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a dreaded peril, and He will deliver us." I just know that "it is to our Father's glory that you (continue to)bear much fruit." John 15:8 Thank you for all the prayers and listening you have done on my behalf. Thank you for being the example you are for our family, especially Uncle Lionel and me, Taylor, Brittany, Marvin and Sally.
Again, I love you so much and just know that Papa would be so please at the wisdom and knowledge you have garnered since his death. I am honored to be a prayer warrior for your ministry, your restoration to health and your continued success as a wife and mom. May the Lord continue to bless and keep you. Love, Aunt Nancy
Corrie -- we don't know one another but I loved your blog. I work with abused / neglected children and their families, so I understand how you felt when you began your career as a substance abuse counselor.
I'm praying that you'll always focus on His will for your life.
Mary
Post a Comment