We’ve all heard the little mini-meditation, WWJD? “What would Jesus do?” Well, I (like most Ursuline Sisters) could paraphrase that a little and ask WWAD? “What would Angela do?”–in seeking to be true to the charism of our founder, Saint Angela Merici. While I was discerning a new ministry I spent a lot of time on that question, and decided that Angela would have urged me to let my natural likes and dislikes point me in a general direction, then see how it looked in light of our community charism…after all, the sisters in her early community did not share a common ministry–the important thing was how they WERE, not what they DID.
In the course of my job search I talked to Father Larry, the president of Brescia, our Ursuline-sponsored university in Owensboro…figuring that if Ursulines were still sponsoring it, Angela would approve of the work going on there. He and I talked about things I like doing: advising, research, writing, teaching, and working for the environment. To make a long story short, my new job at Brescia will involve all those things –and the environment piece I pursue in my free time too, as water tester, trainer / teacher of water test volunteers, and member of just about any local committee that involves water!
So beginning August 1, I will be serving the students at Brescia as Director of the Career Center (advising and teaching), Grants Coordinator (research and writing) and occasional on-line biology / environmental science teaching. How’s that for having your cake and eating it, too? I continue to pray for all those seeking meaningful work, for those stuck in jobs they don’t like, and for all those discerning transitions. Thank you for all your prayers for me as I navigated these waters since last fall!