Welcoming the World at Smoke Rise
by Rebekah Edmonds, Weekday School Assistant Director
My heart overflows with joy, and it feels as if my life is coming full circle, living into my calling more deeply than I have in a very long time.
When I was a young girl (active in GAs for all you die-hard Baptists out there), I said I wanted to be a missionary doctor in Africa. In my teen years, I felt undeniably called to ministry. I assumed my life and work would be that of missions somewhere in the world. I stayed busy with church, particularly Acteens for teenaged girls. I dreamed of one day being the next Dellana O’Brien, who was then head of National Woman’s Missionary Union. The world was alive and full of possibilities that I got to experience firsthand as I traveled to Ajloun, Jordan, and Israel on an international mission trip! After, I headed off to college at Samford University where my eyes continued to be opened to the needs of the world through travels to China, Burma, Thailand, Morocco, Russia, Spain, France and England. I loved experiencing new cultures, meeting new people and the thrill of the adventure! I was still certain through it all that God was calling me to the world, not one specific place or people, but to the world as a whole. I even got a tattoo of the world as a symbol of that calling.
Life post-college brought a pivot from international service to church work and chaplaincy. The deeper I got into chaplaincy, the more it felt like my home. I was forging my own path, doing all of my Clinical Pastoral Education prior to seminary. In order to complete my chaplaincy journey, I had to get a seminary education. That next step brought me to Atlanta and to McAfee School of Theology.
Seminary was tough. I did not want to be there. Sitting in a classroom made me crazy after all the hands-on work I had already been doing. Somehow though, I graduated. Before that could happen though, I adopted José and got married. Life is crazy. All of that came out of nowhere and I still wonder how it all fell into place.
It seemed like my calling to serve the world was lost; but I had been given the gift of a family of my own. The need for income and yet trying to be a mom to a special needs child was complicated. I was onboard to become a chaplain at the children’s hospital in Atlanta. But the demands of caring for José made that impossible. That led me to teaching preschool at The Glenn School for Young Children. (A true gift to prepare me for what was to come!) The need for more income and an offer to work for Developmental Disabilities Ministries took me on yet another detour on my journey. While there, Charlie was born, and José got incredibly sick. I wasn’t able to work any longer because the needs were so great with the boys. Eight years went by, and I wouldn’t trade anything for the opportunity to stay home with the kids and be a mom (another childhood dream). But I also felt very lost. I felt I wasn’t leaning into the calling God had placed on my life.
In 2022, I was given the opportunity to join Smoke Rise Baptist Weekday School as the assistant director. I told Bart McNiel at the time that I was leery. I hadn’t worked in so long and the demands of family were still great. I told him I would try it for a few months as the interim so I wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed. I was excited about the possibility but not feeling much support as I made the decision.
Now, a year and a half later, I have no doubt that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Yes, juggling family and life and work is tricky. I do the best I can, as we all do. Not to sound too cliche, but God has orchestrated every moment for such a time as this. When I first started at the weekday school, I was blown away by its diversity. Families from all over the world were finding our little school as a safe and welcoming space for their children. Inklings of that calling to the world were resurfacing! I had found my place and all the life experiences had prepared me for the moment.
On February 29, we celebrated International Night at the preschool. My expectations were low because it was a new event for many of us and in the evening. Sign-ups for the event were slow, but we pushed forward. I had some ideas about what to do, but no set agenda. Things began to flow; I remembered that I had boxes of international treasures that could be used for decorations. A spur-of-the-moment idea to have all the students paint a picture of the world and finding the perfect music to play in the background—it was all falling into place.
Six p.m. on the designated evening rolled around and families started to arrive. They wore their national dress and brought their favorite foods for all of us to sample. One after another, the room began to fill. As parents were setting up their stations, the kids and I read stories; the theme “we are all alike, but we are all different” ran through the stories. Once the food was ready, everyone joined hands in a circle around the entire room. Our prayer was: “God welcomes all, strangers, and friends. God’s love is strong, and it never ends.”
As I stood on the stage and looked around the room I was overwhelmed by the goodness of God. It was hard to speak as I was so choked up by the beauty before me and how life had come full circle. The world was standing before me. My calling had not been lost.
It is an honor and privilege to love these children and their families. And it is an incredible blessing that my coworkers have become my friends. Thanks be to God!
