We love our Volunteers! — meet two of our readers
We are so grateful to have a group of great volunteers this year, and we are especially grateful to all who help us with our Church services. Their dedication and their heart and soul offerings bring so much meaning to the healing atmosphere. It’s something the guests comment on quite frequently, —the fresh inspiration and feeling of Love they experience with our volunteer readers especially.
Pictured here is a dear and long-time friend of Fern Lodge, Anna Lisa Kronman. Anna Lisa is a Christian Science practitioner in Orinda, and she comes to read for Testimony Meetings at Fern Lodge. Everyone at Fern Lodge is deeply grateful for her metaphysical clarity, spiritual insights and tender care.
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Another volunteer shared thoughts about his experiences at Fern Lodge. David Long reads for our testimony meetings and also occasionally plays piano for a Hymn Sing. We love how he speaks from his heart! Mrs. Eddy says, “When the heart speaks, however simple the words, it’s language is always acceptable to those who have hearts” (Miscellaneous Writings, page 262). David wrote:
“The idea of visiting Fern Lodge first came to me after praying to our Father-Mother Soul, to show me my church-work calling. I had been thinking for some time that I wanted to do something tangible. When the idea came, I felt a quiet confidence that it was right, and I just drove over.
My love and appreciation of Christian Science nurses and nursing facilities has grown immensely over the years. To me, Fern Lodge is among the most important institutions of the world. When the heart is yearning to be healed spiritually, what an amazing thing it is to find places dedicated to that purpose, —and with practical support! Ah, heaven!
What feels most meaningful to me, specifically about Fern Lodge, are two things. One is the genuine, heart-to-heart, illuminating, and friendly conversations I’ve had with both residents and the staff. And this includes the gentle “non-conversations” — when verbal communication does not appear possible because of a patient’s condition, their qualities speak louder than words.
Second, I love the casual, roll-with-it, forgiving spirit that’s woven into everything that happens there. It feels like home, where everything might not appear perfectly in place, until we look with softer eyes and see, well, as a matter of fact, everything is just as it should be.
One of the blessings I get from volunteering at Fern Lodge is feeling calm and purposeful. We all have a feeling that our natural calling is to be useful, to do a little more than the insecure mortal ego thinks is possible. When I ignore the discouraging voices and take even one step in the right direction, the world slows down, and I am reminded that I have the power to do more. In short, by volunteering, I simply find I am in my right mind, and that I am being myself.”
If you would like to learn more about volunteering, please click here.