April 12th, Mrs. Cyndye Harrell: School Counselor

April 12, 2022
Mrs. Cyndye Harrell: School Counselor
The readings for today are Isaiah 49: 1-6, and John 13: 221-33; 36-38.
“Before birth, the Lord called me, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.”  “I am
honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God is now my strength!”  “I will make you a light to
the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth!”
Within the first verses in Isaiah 49, the Lord is speaking to the Israelites, calling them by name,
giving them the strength of God’s love to rebuild Israel.  
Yet when I read these words, they speak to me about being a child of God.  
And there were times when I was such a horrible, rotten child of God.
When I think back on my life, I can remember times when I turned away from God’s love.  Not
because I didn’t think I deserved it, but because I began focusing on other things.  You know,
like hanging out with friends, doing whatever I wanted and not thinking about the consequences
or what my parents thought.  Something would make me happy for a while, but then I would lose
interest and begin to feel lost.  And instead of taking some time to really think about why I was
feeling this way, I would just jump to something else to find “happiness”.  Well, I don’t have to
tell you, that a person can only do so much jumping before they fall.  
And fall I did!  It was like I was standing on shifting sand, never able to find my footing.  I
would reach out to friends, and they were either too busy, or their words were empty and
useless.  My days became dark, and I walked through time without direction or care.   And one
day, I received word that one of my best friends was killed in a car accident.  Even now, thinking
back to that day, I find it hard to breathe.  I spent most of my days and nights crying and yelling
at God.  How could He do this?  How could God allow this to happen?  Why would He take my
friend from me?  Me!  Me.  
Like all good Catholic parents, mine sent me to church.  I began to visit with Sister Amor at St.
Ann’s.  Yes, we used to have nuns teaching at the school.  She was young, always smiling, and
fun to be around.  She said that it was time for me to stop thinking about death and loss and
attend a youth conference with her and a small group of young adults.  
It was during one of those sing-along times that most retreats have, that it hit me!  I was spinning
my wheels thinking only about myself and couldn’t find happiness because happiness doesn’t
come from a box- yeah, I hear it, Dr. Seuss.  But you know what I mean.  Happiness can’t be
found in objects!  I was truly happy when I was serving food at the shelter, and when I was
actually listening to someone speak about their struggles and praying for them!  We visited the
elderly at a nursing home, and it made me smile to see how happy they were to visit with total
strangers!  So, yeah, I guess I did feel kinda like the Grinch when his heart grew 3 sizes that day.
Through the years, I began to know Christ as my savior and leaned into Him when times were
tough.  I found my way back to the church and am humbled when I take communion.  I have

learned to sit and listen, to be still and listen for Him.  I’ve learned that prayer is so powerful! 
Even when I can’t remember the words, God knows my heart!  
Why do I know these things?  Because I am a child of God!  God knew me even before my
mother heard my first cry!  God called me by name!  God is my strength!  Just like Isaiah says,
He has made me a light for others to see Him through me!  And even though I falter and sin, I
am able to ask for forgiveness and He forgives me!  
You, you are a child of God!  We are His children!  And He loves us unconditionally!  He called
you by name!