"14,600 Days"--True Public Service

Kamala Harris has stormed the country with her “107 Days” book tour, lamenting others while lauding her personal “public service.”  A household name, Harris basks in the stage lights of various entertainment and commentary forums, insisting that her credentials basically speak highly of herself.

However, I know another person who relatively few people know, unless they are in the pro-life circles, who truly epitomizes genuine public service and has done so for decades.  Her work with hundreds of women over that time, struggling with lovingly carrying a child to birth proves that true leadership and successful outcomes require humility with upmost confidence in God to achieve what others might deem unattainable.

 
I chose the symbolic forty years (14,600 Days), as a tentative book title, but Kathleen Miller has been steadfast in a growing mission for well beyond that measure.  However, it is still a stark contrast to the meager fare of a wearisome politician who manipulated people and clawed her way to receive as many “firsts” in any particular field of opportunity.  However, enough of her for whom tons of ink, paper, and space have already been wasted touting “stuff and fluff.”

 
Here is the definition and then profile of a public servant:   Such is one who seeks a healthy hiddenness while uplifting the needs of others.  He or she is foremost a servant friend of God whose days begin and end in prayer, and in between.  Servants of the people do not seek any gain for themselves, often working for nothing or just the means to justly sustain themselves.  Though of different temperaments, the evenness of such is sought.  They love all persons, but hold in their hearts a particular soft spot for the neediest, most rejected, and underserved.  The world’s opinions fall flat, as they attend to individual persons with the sole objective of bringing them to the love of God, but with all his resources. 

Prosperous public service is fruitful and expanding; costs are donated and prudently utilized; difficulties are faced with courage but candor.  Real public servants readily acknowledge the input of other gifted persons (See Corinthians) and publicly demonstrate appreciation while ensuring each is deployed according to their abilities.  

 
When troubles arise or a crisis, the ideal public servant knows to Whom to turn, trusts in God and those wise peers within any organization to resolve the problem.   They are ever ready for an increase in knowledge and move in hope.  Heavenly aid is implored and received in gratitude.  In the spirit of the cardinal virtue of justice, they strive to give everyone his or her due without violating the rights of even the wealthier among us.

 
They do not boast or attempt to deflect blame or unduly criticize others.  Their days often end in examination of conscience for that which they could have performed with cleaner hearts.  Still, they give all praise and glory to God for whatever good they did accomplish, using time and treasure, too,  for organization, coordination with others, and adept planning that results in successful endeavors.  Ironically, in contradiction to this article’s title, they do not ‘count” days but rather blessings. 

 
Most importantly, they lead others to God, showing Him as the source of all the is good, true, and beautiful despite trying circumstances. 

Now, there are many who have achieved wondrous acts of public service, but having just received an update from Kathleen Miller, I will share that example.  Starting from one home, Living Grace Homes in Las Vegas, Nevada—just arrived at another milestone in its construction of services for homeless women in crisis pregnancies.  (livinggracehomes.org)  Providing an array of services for nearly nineteen years, since opening their doors in February 2007, they now have moved to a new “safe and sound” campus to serve three times the women in the valley than they currently assist.  Presently, two residential homes include youth, age 14-24, but that will narrow to 14-22 as the campus site expands for older young women.  The new site also provides emergency service calls.

 
Truly, they live their mission which for many years has been to “empower young mothers and their children” with the motto:  Hope is born here.

However, Living Grace Homes is more than just a roof over young moms’ heads.  There they learn many skills, receive counseling, and can further their education.  Moreover, after exiting the homes, they can rely on long term support.  So many of these moms stay connected and offer other women encouragement in their pregnancies.  More bountifully, and a sign of a successful mission, some of these mothers have, in turn, served Living Grace Homes, two currently working for them and one more on their Board.  Additionally, six different residents worked for Living Grace Homes, at one time or another.

 
Aside from  preserving these women from incalculable fiscal disasters unattended single mothers often experience over their lifetimes, and generationally, Living Grace Homes prudent care delivery notes that an estimated million dollars, per year, nearly $20 million, has been saved in significant neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) costs, alone.  This figure is based on how many days Living Grace Home babies stay in these units compared to the national average.  Parenthetically, the Harris-Walz 107 Day Presidential campaign was reputed to be in debt by $20 million after spending over a billion dollars in that brief span!

 
By their 20th anniversary, Living Grace Homes will have served 1,000  women.  Most importantly, though, beyond sheer numbers, are the persons, each aware that she is one, very much valued and cherished woman, for life.  

 
And…all of these genuinely progressive steps were possible by the core leadership of Kathleen Miller, though she would be the first to commend all her colleagues.  Kathleen Miller has been and continues to be a powerful pro life pioneer having represented Nevada in such for many decades.  Even when COVID 19 struck, and she and her late husband were at one time hospitalized, Living Grace Homes “lived on.”  With an indomitable but joyful spirit, she has steadfastly grown the mission.  From the given proverbial ten talents, thousands have been produced.  

 
One can only hope that the average person become increasingly discerning before automatically identifying or accepting politicians and other government employees as public servants, especially if they are feeding at the same trough that should be for the needy.  Pointedly, let us counter self-identifying public servant monikers for elected, appointed and civil employees and tout those who genuinely give without cost or recognition but with whole hearts and souls.