Do whatever He tells you.
Do whatever He tells you. These words are repeated in my head so often throughout the day. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, said these words to the servants at the wedding at Cana. These words are the reason I am here serving at Maggie’s Place.
Do whatever He tells you. Help that mom fill out her application for housing.
Do whatever He tells you. Hold the cutest baby while her mom showers.
Do whatever He tells you. Listen to a crying mother describing her struggles and let her know she is supported and loved.
Do whatever He tells you. Show each mom she is loved for who she is in the image of God. (The labels that have been given to her do not define who she is or how she should be loved.)
Do whatever He tells you. Answer the phone at 3 o’clock in the morning when a woman calls asking for help.
Do whatever He tells you. Be humble enough to admit that you can’t do everything and that God is really the one in control.
Do whatever He tells you. Go to the chapel and spend some time in prayer. (Even if that means staying up a little later to finish work.)
Do whatever He tells you. Leave your family, friends, and job and move to Phoenix, Arizona to serve at Maggie’s Place.
There are many times that I have thought, “What am I doing here?” I am a school teacher and not a case worker, baby expert, or a master at Google Docs. Leaving the school setting and coming to something completely different has been the hardest part of my life so far. I know that sounds dramatic, but to leave everything behind honestly has been very difficult. It gives me insight into what our new moms must feel when they walk through the doors of our house for the first time. But I have to remember, “Do whatever He tells me.”
Through prayer I have learned so far that my life isn’t always about me. My life is to serve others and bring them closer to Christ. Although it seems like I have given up so much coming here to serve, I have gained even more than what I had before. I may have given up my life in Indianapolis, my hometown, but my new start is like our moms new start. I have the gift of walking with each mom and their baby as they better their lives. Not only do the moms grow and change but I grow and change with each mom and her baby. This is the best gift Maggie’s Place could give me!
Listening to God’s voice and following the words of Jesus have changed my life. Since moving here to Maggie’s Place, I have experienced, lived, and grown so much. I can’t even write it in words. I have cried and laughed as I have journeyed along the road with the moms and babies. I look forward to the next moment when God will speak to me, “Do whatever He tells you.”
By Maggie Hagenauer, a MissionCorps member
