Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Psalm 100:1-2
CLI is filled with so many incredible men and women of faith that serve God by partnering with our mission. So many have put their hands up to serve from all over the country and some even come to serve with us in our offices. One woman in particular embodies this Psalm when it comes to serving the Lord with gladness. She brings not only a willingness to serve but a joy in her spirit that lifts the heads of all that she encounters. From the moment she walks in the door, the atmosphere shifts and we all find ourselves ready to share a laugh with Arnetta.
Arnetta comes from a family built on faith and a legacy of serving those in need of the love of Jesus. It is a lineage that she wears with pride. She was born a preacher’s kid and raised under the passionate preaching of her father. She watched with awe as her mother served the church and also ran a successful beauty salon. They set a profound example for her in how to serve others and follow the call of God.
Arnetta and her family
Arnetta’s desire to serve others started from a young age and progressed into her being a blessing in several different industries. She followed in her mother’s footsteps by becoming a top-rated medical aesthetician. And, because nothing is ever ‘just on the surface’ with Arnetta, she said she has seen, “many lives come to Christ through the business of beauty.” She is a woman with her eyes open and Scripture on her lips.
She is majoring in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Juvenile Justice. And that is how she finds her fit here at CLI. So often Arnetta will finish a long day’s work, stop briefly to tend her spot at the community garden and then makes her way to us. She is deeply passionate about helping young, incarcerated men and women that are in need of the encouragement of Scripture. She spends hours on the phone connecting with chaplains and prison administrators to ensure that these young people have the resources that they need.
As a mother herself, Arnetta feels a deep sense of importance when it comes to investing into the lives of young people. Just as her parents took time to teach her about the love of Jesus, she has taken time to invest in her own son. She said that the greatest lessons she taught him are: “Love God, love yourself and love others. Be accountable for every action every day. Give thanks and serve.” Those are valuable lessons that she certainly embodies as she serves these juvenile facilities. So, we want to give thanks for Arnetta today and for all of the wonderful volunteers that choose to serve with CLI.
