Preparation for pastoral care began at age 5

God has been preparing me all my life for the work I do today as a lay leader in the Presbyterian Church.

Growing up in England in a war-torn country, my life was never very stable. I was 5 years old when my mother died, and we were at the most brutal stage of the war. I was the youngest of three children all forced to grow up very fast and to make decisions about the paths we would be taking.

I became a dedicated pacifist at the age of 5, even though I did not have that word in my vocabulary. I knew that war was devastating to children in other countries, even though I could not have named those countries. I felt very early that I wanted more from my life than a self-serving one.

Looking back, I see that God has always encamped his angels around me. My first recollection of this was as a frightened child. I was running from the bombs and trying to get to a safe place, when I tripped and fell. I was sitting on the curb, rubbing my wounds, and crying in loneliness, when along came two sweet-smelling, smiling, radiant women.

They picked me up and held me and washed off my skinned knee and tied a spotless, ironed handkerchief around it, before taking me to a shelter. I remember thinking that I wanted to be just like them when I grew up.

Later, I would spend a lot of time drying tears and binding wounds as an RN in a large training hospital.

The biggest impact on my spiritual journey was when my dad enrolled me in a Catholic convent, where I learned to pray nonstop and love unconditionally. I was a non-Catholic and I did not have the background of the other students, but the nuns loved me as they did the others.

The nuns were my angels at this time and loved me despite my many differences and disadvantages. They wore their full habits. While the bombs were dropping, they would shelter as many of us as possible under their robes, rushing us to safety, praying the entire time. I watched them run through the hallways, their fingers holding their rosary beads, always praying. The nuns taught me the meaning of “praying without ceasing.” I have learned to pray in any place and time.

As I worked as a nurse, my spirituality was an unspoken resource. I took the love that I had received from my angels to help my patients, without mentioning any creed or religion. All of these experiences have equipped me for the service for which I feel called: intercessory prayer and pastoral care. I serve in these areas with passion and compassion, having been empowered by God.

My fundamental philosophy is: I am called to love unconditionally. I have learned from my experiences that no matter who you are, or how big your job, God will never call you to serve without preparing you.

Desri Gilmore is a deacon and lay leader at Central Presbyterian Church in Eugene, and a Pastoral Care team member. This column is coordinated by Lane Interfaith Alliance to offer inspiration, share personal spiritual experiences and bring a deeper understanding of individual faith perspectives with the intention of blessing our community and the world. For more information, visit www .laneinterfaithalliance.org or call 541-344-0430.