Thomas Niblett, a Care Assistant are L'Arche, shares his experience of vocation with us.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Thomas, 22, I graduated last year and was a member of SCM Cambridge.
What role do you currently have?
I currently work as a Care Assistant in L’Arche, a charity with Christian roots that builds communities with people with and without a learning disability. My day to day involves supporting our core members (L’Arche’s term for people with learning disabilities) in their day to day, from cooking and cleaning, to going to community events and church together. I am a live-in assistant, meaning I live with core members and other assistants as a volunteer for a year.
How did you decide to work for your current organisation?
It just felt right. I decided I wanted to look for something very different from being a student, and L’Arche fell into my lap! I had applied to various graduate schemes, but I realised I would be pretending to enjoy them, and I should look for something more interesting!
What attracted you to the role you currently have?
I wanted to do something practical, working with my hands, after being so desk based at university. Working in care was not something I had ever considered, but I thought seeing God in the small scale of the relationships I formed would be really valuable. I thought I would like being in a community, and learning and working together with a wide variety of people, with and without faith, and with and without a learning disability.
How do you feel called to your role?
Quite suddenly after considering L’Arche for a while, I could just picture myself happy and comfortable despite care work and living in community being unfamiliar things to me, and I felt God was drawing me towards L’Arche, and I should listen to that rather than my own doubts.
How does your faith help you in the challenges you face in your role?
I often find God’s presence in L’Arche at the small scale, and after a stressful morning where several things need to happen on time and plans have to change suddenly, you really need the moments of calm. For me this is often sat with a cup of tea with someone else in the house, and I can often feel God telling me to remember why I am here and the value I have to this community and to do the next task with a renewed sense of joy at the everyday beauty of the people I’m with and the place I’m in.
What advice would you give to someone trying to discern thei vocation?
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. I think finding God in the things you are already doing with your time is important at seeing where He is leading you next…