Essie's Story

Gum has impacted me most through confirmation in several areas. In December 2014 before we moved to Galveston, God showed me a passage in Isaiah (58:1-12) and that it meant that I needed to work with him in a close hands-on way right on the city block where I was. At the time, that was Oklahoma City where this became the guiding scripture passage for the community craft shop I had there. Later we moved to Galveston and eventually I was able to find GUM, right around the corner from my house. Finding out that folks had gone ahead with God and built a place and principles to work by where the things I am good at not only fit in but are encouraged was so exciting to me. As a volunteer, the kids; especially the jr. high age kids, touched my heart and cemented what I had thought "might" be my calling. This was huge confirmation to me because I was a VERY young mom earlier in life and even after walking with God for years and going back to school and doing what the world would call "the right steps", I never felt good enough to help kids make good choices. These kids' acceptance and even their occasional good-natured sass confirmed God uses me not just in spite of my rocky early start, but in some cases because of it. Later as a part-time staff person, working with each of my co-workers has impacted me by shaping and sharpening the gifts God has given me and bringing me new ways to see things and showing me so many different ways to look at and solve challenges. Each of the people I work with have giftings and talents that either help me build strengths God has given me or help file and buff and polish places where He wants me to be better. A few months ago, I was able to attend a training session where our director put up the very same scripture on the white board, MY SCRIPTURE, and I just about lost it. I have never felt God show me so strongly that a lifelong adventure with him, getting to see what he does in neighbor's lives, in co-worker's lives and in my own life is not just something I wish for. It was more real than the table I was sitting behind that day and if anything, it's even more real today. That is the impact that GUM has had on me, that I am not too old, too damaged, or too ordinary to get to walk next to God and watch him impact my town. There's a lot more to this, but it would take too much time and too many words. The point is that scripture passage has never ever left me. Knowing that it's also a guiding passage for GUM confirms that God has a place for me, my coworkers and my neighbors, and that we can be part of "His will being done, on earth as it is in heaven." I love getting to be a little part of that.

Essie started off as a GUM volunteer and now works on staff mentoring our youth girls.