Ever feel like God is calling you to take a blind step forward even though you have no idea why? I do.

What about when an opportunity opens up for you that can only be from God because it fits so perfectly?

This happened to me.

Do you sometimes feel inadequate for a role, but you know that relying on God and being in constant prayer will carry you through?

I know this feeling, too.

Upon starting as a house aide at The Sparrow’s Nest, I felt very inadequate for the role, but I also felt confident that this is where God wanted me. How was I, this 22-year-old college graduate already working two other part-time jobs, going to successfully minister to these beautiful young moms? I’ll tell you how: constant prayer.

With my new role, I expected to mainly be teaching the young residents life skills, but little did I know how close I would get to them while walking through daily life. Not only did I become the teacher, I also became the student.

In the following, I am going to share with you some of the lessons I have learned while journeying at the Nest:

Humility and Service

It’s no longer about you, but about those you serve. I have learned to first and foremost deny myself every single day in order to take up my cross and follow Christ, but then I also am denying myself to try my best to show the girls Christ’s enduring love. It can be a struggle, and I do and will continue to fail, but God’s grace is real.

Heartbreak and Healing

My heart hurts and yearns for each girl’s path in life, both past and present. To learn their stories can be heart wrenching; yet there is so much hope and joy with where they have been and where they are currently. Their healing is incredible. This brings me to my next point:

Joy and Suffering Coexist

I have been brought to tears several times while at the Nest for various reasons: a young mom’s heart was broken by her baby’s father, there might be a complication in a pregnancy, residents leaving without notice, the list goes on. Even in these trials that have weighed on me emotionally and spiritually, there is also so much joy found in blessings when I look around: an engagement, a new life being born, a new success in school or a career, amongst others. The coexistence of joy and suffering can be tiring, but holding tight to our Savior gives me strength and reminds me of why I am here, to serve Him and these young ladies.

My time so far at the Nest has been an incredible experience and words cannot express my immense gratitude for God leading me here and providing this position. I pray daily for our Savior to captivate the hearts of the every girl who enters through these doors at the Nest, and I pray he continues to stir the hearts of myself and the rest of the Sparrow team as we teach these young ladies of His redeeming love.

-Erica Grogg

The Sparrow’s Nest House Aide