You know how movies depict interns as well-dressed young adults, balancing trays of coffee from Starbucks and a cellphone while dodging pedestrians on the sidewalk? Replace the tray with a garden rake, the phone with a newborn baby, add piles of thank you cards and a new Pinterest account for recipes, and you get the Scarlet Hope intern.
Working at Scarlet Hope sprouts many fruits of the Spirit, and God patiently watched over the fruit of flexibility in my life garden. You would probably be surprised at how much heavy lifting gets done, moving 20 boxes of donated baby clothes to the basement or organizing two freezers of whole turkeys and pork loins. Other days, you sit and carefully fold tablecloths or sift through thousands of envelopes to find the five envelopes that were mislabeled. No matter where my bosses/sisters placed me, I couldn’t help but ask God how each of these tasks was helping to build His kingdom.
However, as I asked God that question, He took me on a journey that led me to obedience, patience, and humility. It was only when I decided to submit and observe with a heart of patience and flexibility that I began to see how vital these tasks were to the kingdom of God.
So yeah, I once didn’t understand the value of running around the front porch, swatting at cobwebs with a broom. But through the work of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of the Scarlet Hope staff, I now see the value of these menial tasks. I now see that doing these household chores enables hours of vulnerable praying between a staff member and a women from the clubs.
As a Scarlet Hope intern I have learned that God’s light can shine more brightly when I scrub toilets, haul boxes, and pick up trash. And if Jesus can get on his knees and wash a bunch of stinky feet, so can I.
Written by Hanna, Scarlet Hope Summer Intern
