Wednesday, October 24, 2012

How Volunteering Changed My Life


After getting married and moving to Wyoming a few months back, I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do with myself. I had applied for a few jobs without any luck of getting one, so I turned my focus to finding somewhere I could volunteer. I wasn’t in a situation where it was crucial that I have a job, and I had always been too busy to volunteer in the past (or at least that was my excuse), so here was my opportunity to volunteer my time for a good cause. But what would that be? My efforts were unavailing. I searched everywhere in this little town for opportunities to volunteer, and I always came up empty handed. Even the hospital didn’t take volunteers.  I continued praying for answers and guidance. I just knew in my heart God brought me here for a reason, and it wasn’t to clean the house over and over again, or to sit on the couch catching up on my shows that I never had time for back home. No, I was here to make a difference, and I would soon learn that difference would be made in me.
"Whatever God asks you to be, He enables you to be".
~Anne Ortlund

One day while having tea with a wife of one of my husband’s co-workers, she mentioned they announced at church a crisis pregnancy center was looking for volunteers.  She wasn’t sure of the name of the center, so I left with very little information. Shortly after my conversation with my friend I decided I’d look up crisis pregnancy centers in Wyoming. There was one in the town just a few miles from where we live called Abba’s House. This had to be the one she was talking about, so I gave them a call. Sure enough, the sweet little lady, Carol, who answered the phone said, “Yes, we are in much need of volunteers. You are an answer to our prayers! When can you start?” Little did she know, they were an answer to my prayers and I would come to know that even more as I spent time with these women.  
Abba’s House, or “Our Father’s House”, is part of an organization known as Care Net, a prolife, Christian organization. Keep in mind, I did not know any of this when I walked in the doors to fill out my paper work. They don’t have a website so I kind of walked in blind, but I wanted to know what it was all about. What I was about to discover was going to change my life, and for the better.

While meeting with the director, she filled me in on Abba’s House and their commitment to care. They are a Christian organization, and their sole mission is to bring lost women to Christ. The clients we see are underprivileged women who are pregnant or may be pregnant. We assist them during their pregnancy, and up to a year after they give birth. We are a prolife facility, and therefore, when faced with a client who is considering abortion, we express to them the alternatives they have to parent the child or choose adoption.
To be honest, hearing all of this made me very nervous. I didn’t know much about abortion, and though I grew up in church and accepted Christ into my heart when I was sixteen, I had never been part of a mission such as this. I had never helped lead someone to Christ. I was scared. What if I don’t say the right thing? What if they look at me like I’m crazy? What if they reject what I’m saying or don’t understand? What will I do then?  I didn’t know, but there was no turning back now. God had brought me here and I soon learned that it wasn’t only to help lead others to Him, it was also to bring me back to Him.

I had never stopped praying, and I never stopped believing God had a plan for my life but I was still disconnected. There were different reasons for this; I was too busy, too tired, and most of all didn’t feel worthy of His grace and love. Even when I met my husband, I knew he was a gift from God. I mean, I had been praying for him, and he literally was an answered prayer, but I still felt like I didn’t deserve someone like him. But walking in the doors of Abba’s House changed my life and my thinking. I began studying my Bible like I had never done before, I listened to teachings, I took notes, I studied scripture, I read books, I devoted time for prayer, and I began to change. My attitude changed. My thoughts changed. This calming peace came over me. It’s a feeling that is indescribable.
I absolutely love Wednesdays, because that’s when I get to volunteer. I get to work with women who love God and know they have been forgiven. We get to share our faith and how God has saved us and brought us out of dark places in our lives. I get to help women and children in need. I get to hold their hand and pray with them. And when they look at me and say “Thank you for being here”, it’s then I know the reason God brought me here. It’s amazing how God will work and change your life if you will just surrender all to Him.

If you’re interested in finding a pregnancy center near you or would like to learn more about Care Net, please follow these links below:

Care-Net

 

4 comments:

  1. my mom volunteers at a pregnancy center too and she absolutely loves it. she has volunteered before at other places but she doesn't talk nearly as much about the other places as she does the pregnancy center.

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    1. I'm the same way! It's become such a big part of my life, and really puts things into perspective. I've been so blessed in my life and I'm thankful that I can be a blessing to others.

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  2. Love this. What a wonderful testimony and encouragement to all of us who live in a self-centered, ego-centric world. Thanks for linking up to GraceLaced! I'm going to share it on FB! ;)

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    1. Thank you, Ruth! And thank you for the opportunity to share this on your blog. Being an encouragement to others is my sole purpose for my blog. Thank you so much!

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