Confirmation Faith Story: Service

Faith stories are the culmination of two years of confirmation at St. Paul. Ninth graders share brief presentations describing how they see God at work in the world and in their lives.

In September, as ninth graders sat with their families, ready to take to the podium to share their faith stories, Katy Warren began with this advice, “This is not your final faith story. You will continue to grow, re-evaluate, shift, and change in challenging and beautiful ways. We hear your faith story as it is today.”

Service 

by Lyla Williams

Paper programs,
light as breath,
whisper one over another.

Across the room,
Another volunteer looks me in the eye,
nothing is said,
yet all is spoken.

A pen clicks,
an unremarkable sound,
and yet it seals a promise in ink.

The unremarkable tape,
tearing in a slanted way,
Yet tells me to try again.

A single splinter lodges in my finger,
a reminder that service is rarely smooth.

The syllables that spill from my mouth,
Thanking those who dedicate so much time to good.

My finger taps a light switch,
The room goes dark but small noises echo,
My heart knows,
the sounds will always be impatiently waiting.

My mind reverts back to various faces,
The faces that lit up,
As well as the eyes that creased in sorrow.

Generously,
mimicking the actions of God,
Reflecting compassion onto others,
It is truly what I am meant to do.

Amid the course of moments as quiet as a pin,
Interactions as significant as a single grain of sand,
Connection sprouts within me,
The sincere feeling in my heart awakens,
Clear are my thoughts.

It wasn’t ever about a number,
It was never about credit,
It was about the moments,
The faces,
The memories.

The shaking of steady fingers warms my blood,
Feeds my soul.

Moments and connections sprout from service,
Tiny, a mustard seed of change,
The presence of generosity and compassion is unlocked,
As is of God.

Lyla is a freshman at Pleasant Valley High School.