The 2016 Shari Prestemon Social Justice Interns have graciously agreed to share their experiences with all of us. From time to time, we’ll be posting ‘journal entries’ from Sharell Shippen and Sheryl Garcia. Below is one of these entries.
The best journeys answer questions that at the beginning you didn’t even know to ask.
-180 Degrees South
After accepting the position to be an intern at Back Bay, I bright eyed and eagerly anticipated the experience that awaited me in Biloxi, Mississippi. When preparing for this trip, packing, plotting out the best route to drive from Philadelphia to Biloxi, hundreds of thoughts ran through my mind and I often allowed myself to indulge in the what ifs and all the ways I would be helping and making an impact. Each of the thoughts involved some type of deep and meaningful experience, each possibility was an encounter that left both me and the residents of Biloxi for every changed and renewed my faith in Christ while simultaneously affirming my call to ministry and social work.
After just two days at Back Bay I noticed a small tinge of disappointment as I sat through staff introductions and assisted with small seemingly minute details. This wasn’t what I came here for… I knew the mission, I’d read it online. How was I supposed to change lives by answering the phone… I wanted to make an impact, this had to be a mistake. I was here to move mountains not get bogged down in the day to day activities. I began to think that maybe this was a mistake, maybe I shouldn’t have left all that I know and do in Philadelphia for… this.
Or was it? Wasn’t this why I was here? To help with the mission? To do whatever has needed in order to help the people that are here every day all year round? I had so built up in my mind that making a difference needed to be a “transcendent experience”, a moment when the light of heaven shone all around, where time stopped and a voice from heaven spoke saying, “This is my daughter with who I am well pleased.” It never occurred to me that making an impact could be helping an awesome organization like Back Bay with the day to day things. Until I sat in a moment of disappointment doing exactly what I have been called to do, I had not really internalized that the love of God could be shown even in the smallest of ways. Simply by using a respectful tone when answering the phone or taking the time to listen to each employee’s personal testimony of the way Back Bay gives them hope and fulfillment.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3). I challenged myself with the thought that some of the times where I made the greatest impact on my community would come through doing things in private, things many would never know I had done. With every phone call that I answered it allowed the social workers to spend their time focusing on client needs. This first week has shown me to value all aspects of social work and social justice above my own desire to be seen doing and saying the write things. As it is in the still and quiet moments that we can best experience God, in those same private and quiet moments we spread his love. This week has taught me to look for ways to serve in small and unexpected ways and to value all acts of service as no one is greater than the other.
