I have a friend who sits at this desk.
This desk faces the door and the waiting room where people come in for help. Some come in hoping to find the answer to their question is yes. Some come in hoping to find the answer to their question is no.
Before they come into this waiting room typically they call this office to get an appointment. Depending on the person calling that phone call can be pretty brief and to the point. Sometimes that call is full of backstory, emotion and can be lengthy.
After their appointment there may be lots of words, emotions, or there may be few. Emotions range from excitement to anger over the future. Each person and experience is different.
No matter the person that calls or comes in, there is typically a lot of emotion and expectation. These are the things that my friend sitting at the desk encounters.
I am grateful to know that my friend is the one that several days a week probably is the person to first interact with them. The gatekeeper if you will. The grace and hope in her responses, listening ear, and administrative assistance.
This desk is the center point of a pregnancy center whose byline is Hope- Help- Healing. They offer pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, parenting classes, post abortive care. These services all come at ZERO Cost. Because people give so that women and men can have hope no matter their circumstance.
My friend who sits at this desk is moving to another desk soon- a different role in this process of Hope Help and Healing and it makes me a tiny bit sad. Sad that she won’t be the first one to interact with all these folks. I pray for the next person that will sit at this desk to be gracious and kind (No doubt they will but I won’t know them haha). I am excited that my friend will be rolling over to a new space and place of serving these individuals.
Why am I telling you all this? Because I want you to realize that there are desks like this all over the country, in buildings like this. I want you to pray for the people who work and volunteer in these contexts. I want you to know that there are resources to point people toward protecting life and learning how to care for the little innocents in the world. I want you to know that YOU can serve in a place like this in so many ways. This building has a boutique where people can “shop” with “money” they earn from classes for new items for their kids. There is a volunteer in the boutique when it is open. To show kindness and encouragement. You don’t have to be a nurse to be in this place helping. Men even serve to help the men who need healing, help and hope in all of this.
Too often we consider people who do “great” things to be the one that the Father is using or calling in some special way. Let us be reminded He uses all of us to be great even to the least of these because when He calls us to serve one another and look like Jesus THAT is being great. Kingdom work.
So consider where God is calling to use you in the days to come. Pray as you drive by places the Lord is at work- sometimes heartbreaking and difficult work. Always work that is worth our time, attention, and prayer.
And if you ever met someone like my friend at a desk like this just tell them thank you. If you wouldn’t mind taking a moment to ask the Holy Spirit to enable them and the ones behind the walls you can’t see to do the kingdom work of offering hope and pushing against the dark.
Be His.
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