God Bless You Cathy!!
I Leave with a Stack of Remembrance Stones
As I leave the Barnabas Center for Counseling, I cannot begin to name the number of remembrance stones that my co-workers and clients have helped me stack. In the book of Joshua, as the Lord separated the Jordan river for the Ark of the Covenant to be carried across God commanded Joshua to have a man from each tribe of Israel to take up a stone that had been under the Ark and bring it to him. After this “ Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been [a] in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.” (Joshua 4:9). These are stones of remembrance for God’s people to remember His mighty acts, hence I call the name remembrance stones. You may be wondering what or who have been my remembrance stones. I cannot name them all but know that if you were one of my clients, I learned from you and was blessed by you hopefully as you learned and were blessed by me.
Before my job at Barnabas, I had always worked in the secular realm of mental health. The most joyful experiences I have been a part of in this Christian environment have been being able to pray with my clients, share scripture with them, tell them the Lord loves them and forgives them, that He is waiting with loving open arms to receive them. There have been so many holy moments in this office, and I will not forget them.
To my co-workers, thank you for making me laugh every day! Thank you for your friendships and your love. Thank you for understanding this calling from God and supporting me throughout my fundraising journey. We get to experience the riches of God because we work in a Christian center. I will always remember our friendships, our work environment (non-toxic!), and our joy as we laugh together, parts of His riches. I will miss you greatly.
To all who know me through the Barnabas Center please know I am leaving to obey God’s calling but saying goodbye is difficult for me and for you. In our missionary training we learned that it is harder for those we leave behind than it is for us. I hate this part and my prayers are with you as you adjust to my absence. But I leave here being fully blessed by each one of you. And yes, I am very excited to be so close to my time to arrive in Uganda, Africa!
Remember our identity is that we are radically loved by Christ!
Cathy Clevenger, M.Div., MSW, LCSW
If you would like to support Cathy or follow her work in Uganda click on the link below
