Social work. Two words that have taken over my life. Two words that Ive prayed for. Two words that will be my pursuit for the next six to eight years of my life. Two words that give me some power to change the world, even if it's just my world. Two words that excite and terrify me all at once.
I know without a shadow of a doubt that I was called to social work. I have absolutely no clue what field I want to be in, but I know this is what I want to do. A lot of times, I feel like there's no way I'm capable, and I ask myself, "What have I gotten myself into?" Then little moments remind me exactly why Im going to spend my life as a social worker.
1. Moments like standing in the line at Walmart, and seeing stress written all over someone's face. Then asking them how they are doing, and them sharing how difficult life has been. How they are losing hope, and you get to be the one to let them express that hurt.
2. When a friend you haven't seen in months calls you late at night crying about the grief of losing parent, and you can empathize with them. You can be there with them as they grieve even though no words you say will help.
3. When you see someone barely holding it together, and they trust you enough to let those walls down.
4. When you see brokenness and hurt in someone, and you know they need love and support for just a moment.
5. When someone shows you the wounds of their heart, and they look at you with tear-filled eyes, and you have the chance to connect with them.
6. When a little kid is having a hard time, and instead of making everything "OK" temporarily, you can sit down and guide them in expressing the hurt they don't understand.
7. When someone says, "Wow, I didn't even know I felt this way." Or, "I've never told anyone that," and you feel the privilege of being right there as someone experiences hard feelings for the first time.
8. When you can be the one to tell someone they are going to make it. That they won't feel that way forever. That healing is possible.
It's true that many people get quiet when I say I will be a social worker. They don't know what to say other than "you're crazy." I'm entering a field of brokenness all around me. But If you look around, there already is so much heartache storming around us. I just want to be the one to see it. To speak into it. To bring life back into people. Serving others in this way brings life to me. So maybe I am crazy. maybe I don't even know why Im doing this sometimes. Then people share moments like those above and Im reminded of every reason my heart was made for this job.
