This past Monday night I had the incredible experience of speaking with the First United Methodist Women's group in Lawrence. Rarely these days do I have the opportunity to get out and speak to local organizations and I went into this particular speaking engagement unsure of what was going to happen. I have often spoken to groups at churches and we are very fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with local church groups in many aspects of our work, but my time with large groups in one setting is limited. So going into this opportunity was daunting on one hand and on another I was sad because I was missing a night with my mom. I knew that this group has a very special affinity for children and that they wanted me to talk about the work that we do with a very special population of children, but as usual, I had no idea how touched and humbled that I would be by my experience on Vermont and 10th Street.
When I arrived, I noticed first the Powerpoint slides flipping quietly on two screens at the front of the room, I noticed the people arriving (and it was so cute...not only were women there, but they brought their husbands as well) and I noticed the fellowship occuring all around the room. As I stood there talking to those around me, I listened to their stories of involvement in the Church and I was surprised that one of my very favorite United Way volunteers who I had recently had the good fortune to spend a morning with at Capital Federal Bank speaking about United Way, was one of the busiest Church volunteers as well. She shared with me her experience with our Holiday Bureau program and how their pastor upon finding out at the end of our Holiday program that we had 70 families left to be adopted "found" $4,000 for gift cards to help us....just because she described the need and asked for help. I was humbled and sad that I had no idea that they were the one's that helped us finish our project.
As I stood there and watched the volunteer hand out name tags with our logo and put placecards on the tables again with our logo on them and others decorate the tables so beautifully while an entirely different group placed food on a table and others volunteers put out punch and cups and talked to me about low attendance due to a KU basketball game, I wondered in my head if I was up for this challenge, did I prepare enough to meet their expectations, they certainly had prepared everything to make this a night about kids; my goodness, I needed to talk about my kids....and I wanted terribly to do them justice, I wanted to honor my children and to honor these women who obviously went out of their way for me and for Ballard. It did not stop, it all just kept kept going. I sat at a table and looked at the program and found out that one of our long time volunteers, a VERY special "young" lady who comes every Tuesday to pack food bags for our food pantry without fail, was to give the devotional. The back of the program stated, "in honor of the children who look to us to provide them with essential life skills to lead them...." and a list of songs I sang as a child in church to be sung during the program. How did I get here...on a Monday night, why did this special group choose me? As I sat there touched beyond words I wondered if I had it in me anymore....
I was asked to lead the food line with my hostess and to sit and listen to those at the table speak about their children but as I listened, I sat and I watched the Powerpoints as they rolled through the giving that this Church and this group provides in the community; Health Care Access, Willow Domestic Violence Center, Lawrence Community Shelter, Headquarters Counseling, clothing, toys, rummage sales, and on and on and on....a true "community" support effort by real community members and I was among them. As the program started, I listened to the President give a prayer that included me and the words that I was to provide to their group, I listened to a leader speak about a book and tape program provided to women in prison so that they could record books for their children's birthdays where they could only read the book and wish their child Happy Birthday but no other personal message....I listened to our Ballard volunteer give a devotional that touched me to the point of bringing me to tears....it was a message I needed at just that moment; in that place...and I kept saying to myself, "Ensminger, you have got to pull it together, now...this is your job, you are here for a reason, suck it up, NOW!" Thank goodness for all the songs prior to my scheduled program, let me tell you, it gave me time to pause, to say my own prayer and to get myself back to the root of who I am and why I live in Lawrence, Kansas - sorry KU fans- basketball did not bring me here...your children did.
I walked up to that podium I had no agenda, no schedule and no rehearsed speech, I just felt emotion, all the way to my core...seriously, I felt the joy, the love and the beauty of that room in that moment and I knew that I was there for a reason. I was there to tell my children's story, to share with this group that yes, Ballard is about kids, but what TRULY makes us special is the added component of strengthening families, helping them pull together all of the pieces that have fallen apart through, in most cases, no fault of their own. I was there to tell them about Petey Cerf and her vision of meeting the needs of children through teaching them and helping their families...and for the first time in a VERY long time, I was able to talk about D.J. the wonderful little four year old homeless girl who keeps me going at Ballard simply because she told me she wasn't afraid, hungry, tired or scared when she was with us, at Ballard, and because her family is just one of the very many success stories of families who prevail with our help to build a better life for their children so they can succeed. I saw tears in the audience, I saw joy, I even managed to make them laugh at times, but more than that....I saw genuine, true, heartfelt appreciation for our Lawrence "community" and in that moment...I knew why I was there. When I finished and I was talking to those in the room, I felt in my heart and in my gut that I had been brought there for reasons that I did not understand - wasn't supposed to understand- but it was right, it was real and it was where I NEEDED to be. It was the right experience, in the right moment and in just the right way....it was simply...a gift. Thank you to all who made that night a very special experience for me and for Ballard....I will never forget my Monday night at Vermont and 10th Street with the First United Methodist Women's group, as I shared with you when I ended my program....You have made a very big difference in ways that you do not even know.....God bless you all....love you mom....
This is such a wonderful story Dianne. That was one of those moments when you say: "Wow, I am sure I didn't do that on my own, God was working through me!"
He will always take us to the right place when He knows we need it.
Thanks Dianne!
Posted by: Brad Vermaas | 02/25/2011 at 07:44 AM