Kristin Hardwick
It felt good to fit my spirituality into my schedule , and my corporate salary provided me a very comfortable life ...
4 · SPRING 2018
THE CENTER OF GRAVITY FINDING A GOD-CENTERED LIFE IN THE MIDST OF CHANGE
Three women share their experiences of radical change and spiritual growth — carefully planned , unforeseen , and anywhere in betwee
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Working in national hotel sales for a popular destination , I spent a great deal of my time traveling and entertaining clients . My twenty-eight year career gave me the opportunity to enjoy the best food and beverage in the world , on top of luxury accommodations and transportation . Although it was glamorous in some ways , mine was a hectic life ; because of that , I always made a conscious effort to attend church and to offer a portion of my spare time to one or more of the various ministries of my church . It felt good to fit my spirituality into my schedule , and my corporate salary provided me a very comfortable life .
When I thought about “ retiring ” from hotel sales , I somehow knew that I wanted to be an administrator in a local Episcopal church . I realized that my financial situation would change with my departure from the corporate world . Three and half years ago , I became the Executive Assistant to the Rector of an Episcopal church here in Manhattan . The first two years were difficult — for example , I was suddenly forced to decide between taking the bus to work or walking , to save the $ 5.50 round-trip fare so that I could buy food for the day . But financially , that was about as bad as it felt — which wasn ’ t too bad at all .
Now , instead of working a few hours a month in the back of a soup kitchen , I witness the way a daily lunch bag will help satisfy the hunger of a neighbor . Rather than cleaning an empty room for a 12-Step meeting , I assist a despondent neighbor trying to locate a meeting for themselves or their loved one . Or , I witness how a MetroCard can help that desperate unemployed neighbor get to a job interview . Or how a roll of coins and a container of laundry detergent can get that underemployed neighbor clean work clothes .