The Lord is my Social Worker

It's really too bad that social workers tend to be thought of as enabling, baby-snatching, do-gooders with poor boundaries, on a mission to fix other people. I hear the term "social workers" used to illustrate an approach NOT to use. It's been bothering me for a while and I actually keep hearing the negative comments in political and religious settings-- "we aren't the social workers of the world"; "God is not our social worker"; and "social workers only address immediate, temporal, surfacey needs". 

I couldn't disagree more....

Perhaps I'm biased, but a lot of people do "social work" but do not necessarily represent the heart of what it means to be educated, trained, called and empowered to go out into the world to love, serve and be present in the lives of others. The truth is, it's a profound and powerful model of living and being....oh, and really really hard.

So here's my proclamation, Psalm 23 style:

The Lord is my social worker,
I shall not be neglected.
He makes me practice self-care and recognize my strengths,
He leads me to the resources I need,
He restores my hope.
He guides me in healthy boundaries for the protection of myself and others.

Even though I forget our appointments and miss opportunities,
I will fear no rejection,
For you are never going to give up on me;
Your mercy and self-sacrificing love,
They comfort me.
You prepare abundance for me
In the presence of poverty.
You patiently listen to all my stories and complaints and still believe in me;
I am so honored, and my gratefulness cannot be contained.
Surely empathy and empowerment will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will abide in your justice and mercy forever.

Amen.