Welcome back for our second conversation at Last Place People! This time we hear from Emily Gallagher, a 25 year old social worker in Cleveland, OH and newlywed to John! You’ll love Emily’s heart and fire as she shares her heart and challenges us to live in last place!
Name:: Emily Gallagher
Age:: 25
Location:: Cleveland, OH
What you do professionally:: social worker working with youth in foster care
e-mail address :: alotlessemily@yahoo.com
Jesus says “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” When you read these words do you see them as relevant for today? What do you think Jesus is calling us to here and how does it work out today?
I think this call of Jesus is especially applicable to youth in foster care. To understand what it means to truly be last, put yourself in the place of a kid in foster care. Imagine your family did something or possibly several things that caused you to be removed from them. These things could include sexual abuse, physical abuse, the use of drugs in the home and neglect of the one thing you desperately need… LOVE. You cry and cry as an infant desiring your basic needs of love and care; but no one comes. Ok, so let’s stop for a moment and realize that Jesus never intended it to be like this. So these youth begin to react to the situations they have been put through and because of the sexual abuse, they begin to sexually abuse, or they are clueless on how to deal with their sexual organs and therefore they begin to pee all over the house or smear poop all over the bathroom. They want to be dirty and unattractive so that no one will come near them, so that no one will love them.
The calling for us is to care for these orphans. We accomplish this by ensuring that they have safe places to live and people to LOVE them. But they are seemingly so unlovable, so we segregate ourselves from them. To be a servant of all would be to radically change how we see these orphans.
Talk about one way that you see Jesus demonstrating this kind of living? Why does that stand out to you? How does it apply to the circumstances you find yourself in today?
Jesus demonstrates this kind of living by loving people who no one else would love. He hung out with prostitutes, sick-sick people, and unreligious folk. He set an example for us to spend time with these people. This stands out to me because these youth in foster care are crying out for attention so they vandalize, steal, rape, and terrorize.
The way I apply that to the circumstances I find myself in is to challenge my own way of thinking and the thinking of those around me. To change our views of these youth from outcasts (truly last place people), to treating them with the dignity and respect they deserve. I truly love these “unruly” children.
Talk about your current circumstances and how you try and intentionally put yourself in last place? What have been some of the biggest challenges? How have you seen Life come through these attempts (both personally and with others)?
I am a social worker at a treatment foster care agency. The kids are hurting so terribly because they have been so hurt. I do not expect to “put myself in there shoes” it is not possible, I have lived a different life than them. However, I do look for joy in each day, I focus on life now, I live by trust being essential, I know time is an ally, I believe that competence can be taught, and I encourage them to feel. I model for the staff that I supervise to do these things as well, I pray with coworkers and other foster parents because if we want to see lives changed than we have to pray.
Tell us a little bit about your journey towards living in last place in your everyday life. (have you always lived this way, what caused you to live this way, how did you start applying this concept to your job, neighborhood, family, free time)
I knew that I wanted to work with those less fortunate than me since I was in high school and I first heard about how African Americans were being treated up until the 1950’s & 60’s. I remember watching a video and being so shocked that a majority of people believed separate but equal was okay. I knew that this was not the call of God, and when people quoted Scriptures to justify their views it made my skin craw. I was so shocked and embarrassed that I knew I was called to living for others in a different way. I got into social work because it is a way to work with people and make a small impact. Again, relationships are paramount so with no relationship there is little change. (this is modeled by Jesus through his discipleship).
Living this way is not easy and very often we choose not to live in last place. What are some key truths that you hold onto when you feel like you are failing at living this way?
Loyalty- Sometimes kids are acting out there sexual abuse in public, and I am embarrassed, but I stand with them anyway.
Prayer- These kids are desperate and truly hopeless therefore prayer is essential.
Joy- We need to laugh, it may be a stretch to find humor but it really allows for freedom.
Dream a little bit with us. What do you think would happen if more people embraced this way of living? How would that affect the Church? How would impact communities?
OH wow- this is what we are called to do; I truly get so irked with the Church when we are not living this way. We are ordered to embrace the least of these with LOVE and it would change our lives, it would also change the lives of these children. If I could dream of how the Church could respond I would request they take the call seriously to care for the ORPHANS and become foster or adoptive parents. There are a lot of orphans around the world but mainly I’m referring to the orphans right here, right now in Northeast Ohio. They need homes, they need LOVE, and they need a true Savior.
This would impact communities because it could potentially eliminate foster care. I would love to be out of a job because the Church stepped up and took in all these children. It would get kids off the streets, out of residential (lock down facilities) and into homes who model true living by living for a SAVIOR- what we all need.
Any last words to further the conversation?
There are so many other ways to get involved;
1) Become an adoptive parent
2) Become a foster parent
3) Research the shady laws and write your legislators to change them
4) Volunteer
5) Pray for the orphans around the world but especially those right here in Northeastern Ohio
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