Social Work and Social Justice

In my process to figure out my calling I've thought much about becoming a full-time social worker. Although I'm realizing that social work takes many forms. So what is social work exactly? It is the same as social justice?

Just last week I heard about a woman whose Dad taught her to smoke crack. That ticks me off. She hates him for it, yet she still smokes with him on occasion. It makes her miserable because she doesn't like the way she views herself because of doing this. So why does she still make the decision to use the drug? Is it because as much as she believes that her dad is a terrible dad, she still wants some sort of love and respect from him? Things that he will never give her.
I translate for the John School, a court-ordered program for men who have been arrested soliciting prostitution. Now that brings many stories, but the one of interest is the woman who talks to them about her former life as a prostitute. She will tell you that she would do whatever it took to fulfill her need for drugs. Then she continues to say that what she was really looking for was love and acceptance, which she thought came from drugs, then men, but those didn't fill the emptiness in her life. She was raised (if you could call it that) by parents who didn't really exist in her life.
Then there are those who have mental illnesses and can't care for themselves,or those who have been abused so badly they don't have the physical ability to trust, and those who have made so many bad decisions in their life that their choices leave them always wanting.

How many stories are there? Too many too think about. Where is justice for people whose lives have brought them experiences that many of us don't want to consider? Can I as a social worker bring justice, or is it just a Band-Aid?
If Christ brings true justice, and I do my best to love people in a way that brings Christ to them, I believe that is pursuit of justice. But quite often I will be doing no more than allowing certain people to make it to the next day in their lives. Where is the justice in that?

Why Nashvegas?

I am regularly asked why I moved from DC to Nashville. Here's the story.

I was working at this awesome job with the CCCU. The only problem was that my heart knew I didn't want to remain in an office job as my life-long career, and that I was missing out on some things I really enjoyed. These things included speaking Spanish, getting to know people, and being the social person that I am. I knew I had to leave my job, which was a particularly difficult decision since I had a seat reserved on a flight to Uganda for September, I didn't know what to do next, and I loved the Council. Leaving the job meant no trip to Africa. It also meant that I had no income! Thankfully, I have had enough education to teach me that I should always have money saved up for things like this. I prepared to live for three months in D. C. without a job, so that I could spend time looking for what I wanted to do.

So I applied to graduate school at George Mason University. It was perfect timing. I had in-state tuition, references wrote letters overnight for me, I met a friend who was in the same program, I could walk to classes, and I didn't have to take the GRE.

My last day at the Council was July 13th, and my community gathered with me to celebrate the change in life. My family was vacationing in D. C. as well so they were there to tell me that I was crazy for leaving a job without another one lined up. So what did I do next? I went on vacation. The end of which was the annual Cofer Family Reunion in Mississippi.

When I arrived at the reunion, my family was interested in my change of plans. Several different family members invited me to live with them. I could have moved to Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, or Mississippi. The same weekend my roommate called me from D. C. to read me my grad school acceptance letter.

I spent a great amount of time with God that weekend. Through that, I became confident of one thing. God loved me greatly and that either decision was not right or wrong, it was just a decision. I could pick either one and it would work out for God's glory. I could choose where my heart called loudest.

And you know the rest of the story. Nashville called loudly because I knew that I had community outside of my family members here. Forming relationships with my family is extremely important to me, but I was concerned about putting too much hope in that we would be close and knew that it would be important to have other community. So I declined graduate school and spent my savings to move to Music City.

I struggled with the decision for some time at the beginning of this year. Transition is never easy, and it was exemplified for me by the fact that I couldn't find a job in the career field I wanted. I know have much more peace about being here, as I have been strengthened in numerous ways. The challenges have forced me to grow in directions that I was unprepared for, but I am confident that God will use those challenges so that He will be honored.

I hope this helps to give a better picture of what is going on in my life. Since it's 3:00 in the morning, I think I'll end now. Please feel free to ask questions that might merit another post! Goodnight.

Hearing God's Heart

I was a little angry with God last night. Several of my friends are going through some trying times. Deaths in the family, overabundance of stress, life transitions, etc are bringing them to a point of constant turmoil. Although I didn't blame God, I was angry with him for allowing these events to occur. As I was expressing my frustrations to Him this morning on my way to work, I surprised myself by asking "where have you been? Don't you see that your people are hurting? Why aren't you hearing their hearts?" The response surprised me more than me asking question.

"Kyla, where have you been? Why haven't you listened to MY heart?"

In that moment I realized what I've always known but never understood. God wants my love and care just as much as I want his. He is experiencing trials and frustrations every waking second. He is watching people suffer with life all over the world. What have I done to care for God's heart? In the same way that I want to encourage and support my dear friends through their trials, maybe God wants me to encourage and support Him. Does He need or want that from me? What would it look like for me to say "wow, that must have really hurt you to see her suffer. To see him in pain. To see them in torment. How you must be heart broken."

The joy is that there is redemption for our pain. God did send Christ to save the world, and in the end, the pain and suffering will be no more. But for now, I will weep with Him for the world and remember that part of my responsibility here is to love Him by the way I love others.

On the lighter side:
My coworker tried to convince me tonight that the reason I'm "happy all the time" is because I smoke marijuana. I wonder what I would be like if I really did smoke? I had the pleasure of telling him where my true joy comes from. He said he understood because he also believes in Jesus. I just hope that one day this man will experience the difference between believing in Jesus and knowing Him! But until then - let's just hope that he at least knows that I'm not a drug addict. Unless marijuana really isn't a drug....but that's a discussion for another day.

Oh How He Loves You And Me

Do you know the song?
Oh how he loves you and me
Oh how he loves you and me
He gave his life,
What more could He give?

God certainly knows how to love on us, doesn't he? Not only did he give everything for us, as the song above says, but he knows when we need some extra loving, and knows exactly how to do that. Allow me to explain further.

Everyone has there bad days, and I definitely have my share of them. However, yesterday was an extremely low day for me. So many things piled on at once, and to top that off, the day was dreary and gray with rain. It's been months and months since I've cried, and that's all I wanted to do yesterday. I was emotionally exhausted and at the end of my rope. You get the picture.

I worked a double shift yesterday. The morning and Applebee's and the evening at my new job, with an hour to rest in between. Beginning with Applebee's, people just loved on me all day long. Through hugs and words of encouragement, God just piled it on! I even had an excellent "interview" with the top dogs at Applebee's to talk about management (don't ask). It seemed everyone had something good to say, and we were busy enough to help me keep my mind off of my emotions as well.

Then there was the new job - New Orleans Manor (check it out - great food). On day 2 there, the cook heard my request from earlier in the week and brought in platanos, or plantains, to share. He took much effort to make me a special dish, a sopapilla with ice cream and plantains. He put a lot of effort and time into this dish, and it was worth every minute. This was the best part of my day, and quite possibly the week. I wish you could have tried it, as every bite said "God loves you"

My day ended wonderfully, my GM told me I could rest this morning and took me off of the schedule, so now I'm at home, feeling loved and calm, and looking forward to a splendid day. I know I'm loved, and my prayer is that today you will know this also.