For the past 3 years I have been working in the mental health field as a Recreation Therapist. I often explain my career choice simply as I use recreation to assist our patients learn how to cope with life’s stressor, to decrease anger, and to learn how to better interact with other people! And then I always follow it up with, I know.. I know.. I have one of the best jobs in the world! Well I truly do have a job that a majority of the time does not feel like a job! There are 2 hard parts to working at a private secular mental health hospital, 1: it is secular, so christianity is not apart of what we teach. Religion for the most part is not apart of our job. 2: I work in a place that has some people who are very different than me and how I live my life. In the 3 years I have worked at the hospital I have had some major struggles with how to live out the life of a christian boldly in a place you are not suppose to disclose anything about yourself.. for the most part.. which I now fully agree with! Its a hard transition to make but today the Lord through his scripture has showed me how to be true to Him but also honor the requirements of my profession!
2 years ago I went to the school of which i am an alumni for homecoming, then spent sunday at my college home church. During the sermon Pastor Mike, preached over not always focusing on international missions but to see how we are being used right where we are!
During the sermon Luke 10:2 came up, and it was the moment everything changed for me at work! I went from feeling like I was overwhelmed and shut down in my faith, to knowing my place and what my mission was! I was to show the fruit of the spirit to the people I interact with on a daily basis at work, patients and coworkers. For my patients I knew I needed to be a better servant and steward of the education and career I have been given. I also knew that my interactions with my coworkers needed to be true to me … my life needed to show christ and my words and actions needed to honor God! This sermon gave me a great freedom I no longer felt like a trapped butterfly in a cage! I felt like I embodied this scripture, I was a worker in the fields of mental health and my prayers were for Christ to move in the hospital. In the last 2 years… He has changed that hospital one person at a time! The name Jesus Christ is spoken in a praise and truth more than I would have ever expected. I have met sweet christian brothers and sisters that are encouraging and loving especially in the trying days. I have also seen Lives change, coworkers who lead lives of contempt for religion are now praying with me and talking about their time at church over the weekend.
The last 3 years playing games, climbing rock walls, going on outings, and processing over things learned or experienced; as well as 3 years of coworkers coming and going has been the greatest building blocks and education. These years have given me great hardships and victories that have prepared me for this journey of the world race! I settled into the season of harvesting a field I thought was impossible and I wanted to run away! I am so thankful for going home to be convicted of holding fast to work I was being called to for a season of working and tending to the field! As this season comes to a close in 5 months, and I am sharing about the World Race with my coworkers and they are sharing with other coworkers! My prayer is that Christ will move in the hospital and the harvest will be fruitful for the kingdom!
My other payers right now is that I continue to keep myself here and serving Christ while I am still here! I have 11 months to be in 11 countries, but I have 5 months to still be in Texas with work, friends, and family! I also pray that I serve well now so when I am gone I can walk away knowing I was obedient and not regretting not being useable because I am too focused on the race or myself!!
