Serving in a Christian Ministry
I have worked in the nonprofit sector on and off for about five years, and throughout that time, I have felt strongly about working toward a greater good and making a difference in the lives of others. It is deeply rewarding work, but it can also be challenging.
Over the years, I have been surrounded by many stories of pain, loss, and trauma. In previous workplaces, I often struggled with feelings of hopelessness and compassion fatigue. It felt as though there was a mountain standing before me—a mountain of human suffering that I could never fully address, no matter how hard I tried. I couldn’t fix it all or bring enough relief to make it feel manageable.
I would pray, trying to bring all the darkness and hopelessness I encountered to the Lord, while doing my best to bring light into the environments I was part of. But I often felt like I was doing it alone. There wasn’t much space to talk about my faith in the workplace, and I felt as though I was fighting a spiritual battle on my own.
Working at OIM, an organization that is so unashamedly Christ-centred, has been a refreshing change. I still hear stories of pain and loss from the people we serve, and they still break my heart. But I no longer feel as though the pain is where the story ends. Every day, I am encouraged by the strength and faith with which my colleagues and our volunteers live their lives and approach the world. I am grateful to be part of a team where I can be honest when I need prayer or when something feels too big or overwhelming. We can pause, pray for one another, and bring our worries and the burdens we carry for others to our Heavenly Father—a Father who cares deeply for us and is able to carry what feels too heavy for us to bear alone.
I am continually reminded that this work is not ultimately about what we can accomplish, but about what God is doing. There is pain, darkness, and suffering in this world, but there is also a good God who sees, loves, and cares about what each of His children is going through.
We are not called to carry the weight of the world on our own shoulders. We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those we serve, trusting Him to do what we cannot. And there is so much hope in knowing that the work does not begin and end with me. God is at work in ways I cannot always see or understand, and I am grateful to be a small part of what He is doing.
~ Sophia, Youth & Resource Coordinator
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