A Lenten Devotion by Shelly Cichowlas
Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom for the future.
Proverbs 19:20
Muriel and I met under unusual circumstances; she was forced into retirement early due to her vision impairment and I was the person hired to replace her as a family advocate with Head Start. Because she wasn’t the type to sit idly at home, Muriel chose to stay active in Head Start (serving on the board, volunteering in classroom she would always need someone to drive her to/from events. I was asked if I could take her home after one event and ended up talking with her for over two hours! Muriel had spent her life being the kind of social worker that championed for kids by helping their parents. I learned so much from her about how to do more than just “do the work” from Muriel. I have no doubt that through our friendship, I understood how to be a better social worker, parent, and friend. Through Muriel’s encouragement, I returned to grad school and earned my masters degree. In fact, I remember riding in the car with her when I was thinking about returning to school but hadn’t written the essay for the application. When she asked me if I had decided whether I was going to go back to school, I said I hadn’t been able to write my essay. She said, “Well, it sounds like you’ve already made your decision.” I returned home that evening and sent my application with completed essay that night.
It’s been five years since Muriel died unexpectedly following an accidental fall during a visit with her family in Oregon. While I certainly wish she were still here, I am reminded often of the gift I had in her friendship and, sometimes, after a difficult day at work, I can imagine Muriel riding along with me on my drive home, asking guiding questions and helping me figure out another way to see a challenging situation. For this gift of being able to recall her memory, I am eternally grateful.. Thanks be to God!
Dear God, thank you for the people you put in our lives that teach us how to be better people through their kindness and encouragement. Help us to see that when we reach out to help someone else, we may also be helping ourselves to experience a new connection with a mentor and friend. Amen