She is also a home schooled, East Texas transplant who likes her books mysterious and her cheese aged, and who is currently very excited about Brian Regan's upcoming performance in Houston.
What does a normal work day look
like?
Every day is different. (One thing I love/hate about my job.
:-) On any given day, I could be drafting a Will, going to probate court,
trying to find lost heirs, looking up how to get cremated ashes buried, meeting
with clients, or working with banks/insurance companies to get information or
claims finalized.
Why do you feel called to work in your field?
God has given me
aptitudes and opportunities that make me well-suited to this field and so I
feel that I am able to help people effectively using those skills and abilities
that God has given me.
How do you bring Christ into your work?
I try to "always be ready
to give an answer for the hope that is in me." When my clients are
unbelievers, it is difficult for me to initiate conversations about Christ, so
with them I try to make it my goal to "work as unto the Lord" so that
1) I do good work for clients so that they don't have any grounds for complaint
and 2) hopefully conduct myself in such a way that they will see something
different in me. When my clients are believers, I often have opportunities to
help them accomplish spiritual goals in the planning or administration of their
estates. Often they are very encouraging to me as I see the lives and
families they have built around Christ. :-)
Do you have a specific instance where God used you to minister to someone in some way?
I think the main examples I have of this are in my probate
cases. Often my clients have just lost a spouse or other family member and are
struggling with having to make important decisions in the midst of their
grief. My job is to provide the information and resources necessary for
them to make many of those decisions and to guide them through the process of
settling their loved one's affairs. I think it helps them a lot knowing
that they have someone in their corner who will help shoulder the burden.
Are there some struggles with being a Christian at your job?
As a
self-employed person, I thankfully do not deal with any pressure in my
workplace. Also, I'm generally not forced to work with anyone with whom I
have fundamental disagreements. I'd say the biggest struggle I have, is
finding a balance between being bold about sharing my faith and conducting
myself in a professional manner with clients and business contacts. Often
I rely on people being willing to share very personal information with me in
order to do my job. If I come across as judgmental or disapproving, they
are very likely to shut down and just not share = I mess up their Estate Plan
and eventually go out of business. On the other hand, what's more
important, me drafting them a Will or them developing a personal relationship
with Christ? It's tough. :-)
What advice/encouragement can you offer those struggling with sharing their faith at work.
Harking back to the whole self-employed-work-alone thing,
I'm not sure I have a lot to offer in this area. Just from my
interactions with clients, my biggest thing is to try to do my work with
excellence. If I am perceived as lazy or incompetent, I am not going to
have any credibility in sharing my faith.
Can you share your favorite work moment with us-funny, proud, dramatic or otherwise!
It's hard to choose one favorite, but a big one was getting my
first client check as a self-employed attorney. In some ways I felt like
I had just pulled a successful con, but it was a really fantastic feeling to
think that someone trusted me, as a new attorney, to handle their legal work.
:-)
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