A MissionCorps member reflects on her time of service with Maggie’s Place.
It’s impossible to merely ‘sum up’ the last year and a half of living and serving in this truly blessed ministry, where God’s love abounds and every day is so full of life, unconditional love, amazing people, heartbreaking struggles, astonishing accomplishments and the witnessing of daily growth amidst all of our setbacks and triumphs. I have lived and served at The Magdalene House as a MissionCorps member for almost a year and a half and my service will come to its conclusion at the end of January.
If there is one thing that reverberates in my heart as I reflect on my time here it is this: through my desire and passion to serve our moms I have been given the grace of healing in the parts of my life that have long sat in the shadows of heartache. In my interactions with the MissionCorps, moms and staff (all of whom are full of faith, inner beauty and ebullience) I remember realizing in my first few months in the house that I had not laughed so hard, so genuinely and so deeply in many years. I realized that God, in his truly unfathomable fashion, had sent me here as an answer to prayer.
I wish I could have written it all down. I wish I could press the replay button on any given day that I have lived in this house, as every moment has been so meaningful and so full of grace, divine love, wonderful humor and spiritual growth.
As my heart swims in a sea of emotions that continue to surface unsolicited and my spirit anxiously anticipates the next part of the journey, a quote from Blessed John Paul II speaks to me profoundly.
“Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I AM with you. All is very, very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence.”
I think this speaks to each of us, as we transition in and through this dynamic and ever growing community.
The beauty of the soul – the resilience of the spirit; above all else, this is what Maggie’s Place has taught me to see, not only in each mom that walks in our door, or in those that I am blessed to serve alongside, but also in myself.
-Laura
MissionCorps Member, The Magdalene House
