Behind the Scenes

Last week, Catholic Leadership Institute said goodbye to our long-time Vice President of Finance, Ginny Koehler. She has been such a gift to our apostolate for nearly a decade and I have no doubt she will bring the same incredible gifts to the next exciting chapter of her professional journey. Thankfully for us, Ginny will continue to lend her expertise to us over the summer as we seek to fill her shoes. As we met on Friday to review where we were in the transition and to tie up a few things, we got the chance to reminisce about some of our most enjoyable collaborations and laugh about a few interactions that weren’t so enjoyable in the moment. As someone who is known to get a little dizzy when looking at a balance sheet, I always appreciated how Ginny and I complemented each other in our respective roles. However, it wasn’t until we began to identify a list of transition items that I really comprehended the list of things that never crossed my desk, never even crossed my mind, and therefore never were my concern because of the care, thoroughness, and humility with which Ginny approached her mission.

Later as I flipped through the multiple pages of notes from our meeting, I not only gave thanks for the peace of mind that Ginny gave our team for so many years, but I also began to wonder how many other "peacemakers" I had in my life who were going unnoticed. Who are those people who not only respond to what I need, but also care for me in ways I’m not even aware? With them and especially with the Lord, how often do I stop and give thanks not only for what I see, but also for what I can’t see? Does my service to others come with the same humble anonymity? As we enter into this week, let's give thanks for all those who bring peace to our lives, let's imitate their example, and let's remember there is only One who gives us a peace that none of us, not even Ginny, can match.