We would, next, like to introduce you to our wonderful Director of Kids' Club at the Park, Mrs. Linda Griggs. Linda has been married to Billie for 22 years, and she has 4 children, including one biological child, 1 adopted child, and 2 children she began parenting upon the death of their mother. They also have 7 grandchildren and 1 on the way!! So exciting!!
While Linda never anticipated working in church ministry, she did have an inkling that she would someday work with kids. Prior to working for Beltway, she once held a job as a babysitter for $0.50/hr and tutor for $0.75/hr, "And I loved it!" (If only we could find those rates nowadays!!) However, as a child, herself, Linda's church experiences were not positive, "so working in a church was never on my radar."
It is fitting that she should work as the Kids' Club Director, given that she has the spiritual gifts of Administration, Encouragement, and Teaching, and she has a passion for helping hurting kids who are dealing with divorce, neglect, and abuse, etc. Her passion for showering a mother's love on children, coupled with her spiritual gifts, makes her a true gem in the Kids' Club at Beltway Park.
Linda says that she recognizes that no matter what she has going on in her life, she has His purpose to fulfill, which is to lead His children to Him. She daily walks out her freedom in Christ, by keeping in step with this purpose in mind. "He has given me the gifts of joy and laughter and I strive to walk that out daily with others. My favorite quote is, 'When you walk into a room, make the room sing.' Some days are harder than others, but I always pray for Him to release the joy that He has put in me and make the room sing and not squawk."
One way that she makes a room sing, is to intentionally deal with offenses by abiding by Joyce Meyers's philosophy, "Don't look at myself with rose colored glasses and everyone else with a magnifying glass." By using this perspective, she admits she becomes much less judgmental of others! This is a philosophy many of us could gain from adopting!
Linda has had to take many big steps of faith in her life, but she says that, perhaps, her biggest faith step was in her decision to continue residing in Abilene, after her divorce, rather than returning home to Albuquerque with her close knit family. She recalls that the week before school started that year, as she was looking to make a living for her new family of 3, she was offered a first grade teaching position at Wylie ISD. "The Lord used my prior experience as a first grade teacher to place me exactly where I needed to be. The other first grade teachers prayed with me, laughed with me, helped me with lesson plans; they truly became my closest friends and family." How blessed she was to trust in the the Lord to meet her needs, and how blessed Beltway Park is for the eventual fruit of her decision, as well!
When she is not working, Linda must be deliberate about relieving stress in her life. She admits that she has had a lot of heart break, and she is currently dealing with some heavy situations with her family. "The first thing I do is pray! I pray for comfort, strength, and for the Lord to restore my joy in all circumstances." Additionally, Linda says that she never listens to secular music, and she does not watch the news or anything else negative, during her darkest times. She feeds her spirit with old hymns on Pandora, and she keeps her television going all night, to feed her subconscious with the uplifting stories broadcasting throughout the night on a Christian station.
Thank you for sharing your heart with us, Linda! We can truly learn so much from you, and are so grateful for your presence at the Park!!
We hope you have enjoyed getting to know Linda a little better. If you see her around church, be sure to give her a heartfelt "thank you" for the amazing things she does for our children at Kids' Club!!
Comments
Post a Comment