Patience and Trust

What a delight to see so many members gather virtually for our Annual Business Meeting and EAGLE Celebration of Excellence this month. It was truly uplifting that so many of you joined your peers to recognize their accomplishments. Your smiling faces and dedicated engagement inspire us to be patient as we await the time when we can gather in person together.

Last year, Debbie Reed, President & CEO of Chaddock, shared the prayer, “Patient Trust,” by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. He begins by saying, “Above all, trust in the slow work of God.” Little did we know how much patience we would need.

We have spent many weeks and months waiting. Waiting for the discovery of vaccines . . .waiting to see kids and grandkids. . . waiting for schools to reopen . . . waiting for residents to be allowed visitors. Lots of waiting. Practicing patience is challenging work. We are increasingly called to trust in what we cannot see and believe.

During this time, many of us planted vegetable seeds and watered them regularly. It was an investment of time, energy, and hope in the future – a simple act of faith – as we imagined a plentiful garden somewhere in the muddy soil. Faith grows one seed at a time.

“Give Our Lord the benefit of believing that His hand is leading you and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete,” prays Teilhard de Chardin.

We do not always know what seeds will take hold and which work will be fruitful. UMA members experience this daily as you seek to restore childhoods and inspire abundant life for the people you serve. As we continue the work of our ministries, we must continue to patiently trust as we journey through an uncomfortable, unpredictable, and uncertain future.

Eventually, we will see fruits of our labor take root just as we did this month at the Annual Business Meeting and EAGLE Celebration of Excellence. Five UMA ministries showed us that patience and perseverance pays off as they achieved reaccreditation. Congratulations!

Our UMA family will wait longer to be together, but we hope and trust that we will see you next April 25-27 in Savannah.

Mary Kemper
President and CEO