This Little Light of Mine

This week’s story comes from guest blogger Rachel Quednau. She’s participating in the ‘Share Your Story’ aspect of the75th Anniversary Celebration. We’re excited to have her contribution and invite you to share your story as well!  

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Bundled up in a long down coat, thick leather boots, mittens, hat and hood, I still feel the wind slapping my face with its icy tendrils as I wait for the bus after work. During a Wisconsin winter, it often feels like there is nothing more powerful than the wind. Nothing can stop it. That is, until my bus shows up and I bound up the steps, settling into a seat near the back and allowing all the warmth of the heaters to wash over me as I ride home. Only after feeling that heat return to me can I begin to think about anything besides cold.

This winter, I am grateful for warmth. I am reminded every day of how fortunate I am to have warm clothes, a warm bus to ride, and a warm home to come back to each night. These may seem like small things, but wintertime always reminds me of their value. Now, I know that many countries that Episcopal Relief & Development serves are far warmer than Wisconsin, but I also know that the need for warmth transcends physical surroundings. God has blessed me in a myriad of ways so that I know the warmth of a caring family, a job that I am passionate about, good food on my table, and a loving partner who is with me on my journey.

However, like the line in the children’s song, “This Little Light of Mine,” I know that the warmth in my life would be insignificant if I kept it to myself, or hid it “under a bushel.” Luckily, I am fortunate to work at a homeless shelter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where I can share these gifts with others who need them. I’m glad that our shelter is able to provide services like beds, food and hospitality, and it is a constant reminder of how privileged I am to have all of these things in my life. It is precisely the presence of God’s immense blessings in my life that enables me to share them with others.

Beyond my hometown, I also attempt to orient my life toward service to the world. From a young age, my parents instilled in me a deep value for generosity, so as soon as I began working my first babysitting jobs as a 12-year-old, I committed to donating a portion of my earnings to an organization. Episcopal Relief & Development was the first organization I ever contributed to, and it is one that I continue to support to this day. As a lifelong Episcopalian, I love that I get to be part of a church, which is so committed to justice that it has created an entire organization that works in dozens of countries addressing multiple issues to help advance that cause of making the world a better place. I am truly grateful for the work of Episcopal Relief & Development in bringing warmth and love to people around the globe and I am grateful for God’s warm presence in my life, enabling me to be generous to aid in that mission in the small ways that I am able.

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Rachel Quednau is an Episcopal Service Corps Alum who now works in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Check out her other blogs at www.the-city-space.com.

Images: Top, Abstract Winter from Cinnamon Fern Art Studio. Middle, Family in the Suburbs. Last, Fire Abstract 2 by Kris Carlson. 

An Historical Journey