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Meet Captain Jodie Jones



1. What is your current appointment and what do you find most satisfying about it?

I’m a corps officer at Kwinana & South Metro Salvation Army in WA. I enjoy the variety of ways this role provides for me to interact with the community, including via schools, emergency relief, community service groups, businesses, our thrift shops, our church and hotel and street ministry.

 

2. Away from the appointment – if that’s possible! – what do you do to relax or unwind?

I like to take time away from crowds and to be in nature, so walking, bike riding or ocean watching is very regenerating for me. I’ve also recently discovered Aqua Chi, which is similar to Tai Chi but in a heated pool.

 

3. What’s a favourite Christian song, and why do you like it?

It’s unfair to ask for just one favourite! Another in the Fire by Hillsong United reminds me that whatever I’m going through I’m never alone because there’s another with me. Also In Christ Alone by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty because I’m reminded that it is Christ’s love and power that keeps me standing.

 

4. If you could have a good talk with a biblical character apart from Jesus, who would it be and what would you talk about?

I’ve always wanted to have a talk with Martha, particularly about the time when Jesus came to her home, and she worried about all that needed to be done as she and Mary were hosting. I have sometimes been called a Martha but am learning to take Christ’s words less as a criticism, but more as a comfort; that he knows my heart and mind so well, yet also knows that I need help to change in order to receive what I truly need.

 

5. If you were talking to a group of Salvationists and they asked if you recommended officership or not, what would you say?

Officership can be a rollercoaster ride – exhilarating with shouts of joy and terrifying with tears too. I am thankful for the privilege of being an officer and of being used by God to bring hope and to transform lives, including mine. The way this happens, though, is not always easy, and many times I have questioned why I do what I do. It has been a rewarding but also a tough journey, tougher than I expected. One of the toughest parts can be believing that God wants me just as I am – with all my insecurities and imperfections – to lead others. Of course, I’m not doing it on my own, nor does God leave me as I am. The growth and the pruning; the embracing and the letting go, are both wonderful and hard work at the same time. Remembering that I, as a shepherd, am also a ‘sheep’ is necessary, in order to give myself the grace to accept that I don’t have all the answers or strength or power to do things on my own. I tried arguing against being an officer, but God won in the end. I won, too, because God’s way is much better!

 

Interview by Major Mal Davies

 

 

 

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