Matthew 5:13-16
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can
it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be
thrown out and trampled underfoot.
13
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be
hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead
they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the
same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good
deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
14
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
What does it mean for me to live Easter beyond Valpo?
I sat here, in these pews, for the first time back in August 1983. I was a
freshman nursing major from Schenectady, NY. I knew no one but my
roommate Michele from Clinton, WI whom I had just met hours before. I
was 760 miles away from home and was excited to be here. I couldn’t wait
to get here, to be in college, to be making my own decisions, to be on my
own... or so I thought. Little did I know back then that Valpo would be such
a big part of my life! Of course it was! It was the place I was going to get my
education, but I had no idea how much more Valpo was going to give me
along with it!
As many of you have experienced here at Valpo, it’s sometimes easy to “live
Easter” when you’re surrounded with so many people caring for and serving
others in this community and around the world. We have the opportunity to
freely preach and teach and share in the love of Christ every day… at
morning prayer, Candlelight, Celebrate & even in the classroom. It’s
amazing how many groups and individuals on campus reach out to those in
need, to serve as the hands and feet of Christ on mission trips from our own
backyard to Tanzania and to one another right here on campus. But what
does it mean to live Easter beyond Valpo?
Fast forward about four years to May 1987…now, I’m sitting in the ARC
during commencement and I can’t wait to get out of here, to be out in the
real world, to be working as a real nurse, to be making my own money, to
be on my own… far away from Valpo… and I’m never going back to school…
ever again… or so I thought. Once again, I was excited to be embarking on a
new adventure, but this time it was different. I had learned so much here at
Valpo, much more than just being able to pass my licensure test and work
as a registered nurse.
I started to notice things about myself while taking care of my patients. I
was different than other nurses. I saw too many people just doing their job.
Nursing isn’t just a job to me. It’s my profession, my vocation, my calling.
God gave me gifts to use while caring for others in mind, body, and spirit…
and I learned that right here at Valpo. Most of my nursing career has been in
women’s health. I’ve worked in labor & deliver, in surgery, in a doctor’s
office, in a nursing home, in a church as a parish nurse and now back here
at Valpo as a nurse educator. I’ve raised a family (with the help of my
husband), gone back to school to receive a master’s degree, and am now a
deaconess student. One thing I know for sure is that Christ has led me down
this path… walked beside me, behind me, and carried me through the rough
times. He’s used my hands and my feet to do His work for those in need.
I’ve held newborn babies as they have taken their first breath… and their
last. I’ve comforted those who have only seen darkness in their lives. I’ve
laughed and cried with my patients… I’ve prayed for them and with them. I
was Christ for someone.
In Mathew 5 vs 14, Jesus said "you are the light of the world." This is a call
to be a role model and to lead as needed; to be responsible and
accountable. If we are to lead others or show them the way, we must be
equipped in every way. The Valpo experience prepares us to lead and serve
but God has equipped us with all the rest… with the love of Christ & the Holy
Spirit. No matter what your chosen profession or vocation, carry the light of
the world in your soul and let Christ shine for all to see. From the book A
Time for Listening and Caring, Christina Puchalski writes, “Helping, fixing,
and serving represent three different ways of seeing life. When you help,
you see life as weak. When you fix, you see life as broken. When you serve,
you see life as whole. Fixing and helping may be the work of the ego,
and service the work of the soul.”
Fast forward one more time to April 2012… today I stand before you as a
proud Valpo alum. I’m not sure what my future holds but I do know that it’s
in God’s hands and that Christ is with me every step of the way. For me, to
live Easter beyond Valpo is to let the light of Christ shine in all that I do in
order to please my Father in heaven.
How will you live Easter beyond Valpo?
Valparaiso University Morning Prayer Homily – April 24, 2011
Beth Olejniczak