The Most Important And Difficult Part of My Job

One of the hardest parts of my job is availability. The most important things I do, I do without much of an audience. A parent, or a youth, or some random stranger is in need of a temporary companion, they need someone to represent God's presence to them. Just being there, is what is needed. This is not usually something you plan. It just happens. And it can happen anywhere, at any time. I have to be available for this to happen. I have to be open to the signs God gives that someone around me is in need, and I have to be ready to respond to those signs. Not just in terms of being there, either, it is important to have something substantive to say, if you are really going to make a difference. Listening is the most important part, and the biggest part, but it isn't the only part.

The end result is that you can be in the middle of doing a million other things for your job and in a moment hours are shaved off your day because someone is in need. You need and must be present in mind, body and spirit. This is the most important part of your job, but not the only part. It is so hard, however, to bracket off all the rest of what is going on to really put your all into this calling, found in this person in the here and now. It is an honor and privilege to serve God in this way, but there is frustration too. It also means you are basically on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Need can come from any corner, at any time. It can be hard. Someone overheard me giving this kind of help today and they were sympathetic when the realized what my life is really like. But there is no need for sympathy. Not really. I'm happy with it all. But the work is real, and can be consuming. No sympathy is not necessary. But understanding once in a while, that would be nice.