#9 Finding Meaning in Suffering - A Social Worker's Perspective
Episode 9 | 28 Minutes | Feb 18, 2025
Suffering is inevitable, but for social workers, it’s also part of the job. Every day, they step into the hardest moments of people’s lives—offering support, navigating loss, and witnessing transformation. But in walking through suffering with others, they, too, are changed.
In this episode of Innovate for Good, Cedarville University professor Melissa Brown shares how facing suffering—both personally and professionally—shapes who we become. From hospice care to the classroom, she reveals how hardship builds resilience, deepens compassion, and strengthens faith.
Whether you're exploring social work or seeking purpose in life's challenges, this conversation offers practical wisdom and encouragement.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Why flexibility is essential in your career and faith journey
How Gen Z’s strengths in advocacy and technology are reshaping social work
What it really means to engage with people who think differently than you
How social workers play a vital role in ministry—even in secular settings
Why obedience to God doesn’t always mean an easy path
How to build the right skills and mindset for a life of service
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Melissa Brown is a professor of social work at Cedarville University in Ohio, where she also serves as a field coordinator for students pursuing international social work internships in countries like India, Uganda, and Ecuador. Before stepping into academia, Melissa worked extensively in geriatrics, hospice care, and bereavement services, offering support to individuals at some of life’s hardest moments.
Her passion lies in equipping the next generation of social workers—not only with the technical skills they need but with a deep understanding of how faith can shape their approach to helping others. Through her own personal journey, including adopting a child from China, Melissa has learned firsthand how flexibility, faith, and compassion are essential tools for both life and career.
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Today we have Melissa Brown joining us.
Melissa has worked for a number of years in social work, serving the elderly population along with children and terminally ill patients. She is now a professor of social work at Cedarville University in Ohio. One of her roles at Cedarville is that of field coordinator for students doing international social work internships in places like India, Uganda, or Ecuador.
One Collective has had the opportunity to present to Melissa's Social Work students, and today we're really glad that she's joined us here. So welcome, Melissa.
Thank you. Thank you for having me.
Melissa, can you just tell us a little bit about you and your background and it may overlap with what Carly mentioned, and maybe including your, some of the hospice and bereavement care work that you've done.
So I originally came to Cedarville and completed my undergraduate degree in social work here at Cedarville. And I thought when I was a student that I would want to practice in mental health. I thought I'd be working with children and adolescents. But when I graduated, my husband, we had met when we were young.
He was starting school. He worked while I came to school and then he was starting school and I was going to work. So at the time, the job that I found was working in geriatrics and I worked at the area agency on aging, providing case management services and assessments for older adults that were living in an assisted living environment.
And I did that for a couple of years. And then a former coworker reached out and asked if I'd be interested in transitioning to hospice. I worked at a local hospice here for a number of years and went back to graduate school while I was in graduate school. I should have been listening to the professor, but what I was really doing was looking at the Cedarville website.
I thought I would love to go back and work at Cedarville. I wonder what some of the job qualifications would be. I was in a marriage and family therapy class and we were talking about therapy and counseling. And so I was just thinking, I wonder what Cedarville's criteria would be for a counselor. And anyway, I was just looking at the website and it turned out that they had an opening.
And so I. unwisely used my class time to apply for a job, probably not my best student moments, and applied for a job in our counseling services department at Cedarville. And that's how I landed up back here.
So that's counseling services offered to students when they're studying at Cedarville.
That's correct. Our residence life department has counseling services that's available to any student here at Cedarville at no cost to them. It's a wonderful benefit for our students here.
So how long were you in that role?
I work there full time for. A year, and then I did part time the next year. I was pregnant with, who is now my eight year old daughter, Piper. So in the spring semester, I was out most of the time on maternity leave. One year full time, and then I transitioned to part time for the following year.
Then what led you back into teaching, or I guess what led you to teaching, students in a university setting in the social work department? What was the road to that position? Okay.
former professors, who's now my colleague, Professor George Huff, he came over to see me. And he made an appointment and walked over to my counseling office and said that we have an opening. Would you ever consider? And wasn't really on my radar, but I adjuncted an online class to just get my feet wet, see what I thought about it.
And I really enjoyed it.
What was that first class?
Concepts of chemical dependency. So it's a class for students to have a better understanding of how we work with clients who are. to substances.
Yeah. So you jumped right in.
That's right. And I still teach that class over the summer to this day. So it was a, an entry point. And I still, I'm still teaching that class each summer.
Melissa, what, as you teach your students, what excites you about working with them? I visited, I was in your class once and I was the guest speaker.
So I was thinking, okay, I'm going to get up there pretty soon to talk. But then you took these several minutes to really listen to your students as they shared things they were praying about. And then you would they want they wanted prayer for and then you would respond to them and ask for, little follow ups.
And how are you doing? And I was, that really struck me and it makes me wonder, what, what is your hope for these students? What do you love about this role and your care for the students?
One of my favorite things about teaching students at Cedarville is that we want to prepare our students to practice in social work, which I love. But from a business perspective, biblical worldview, and I love that Cedarville is committed to the word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ. I don't think that I could teach social work at a non Christian school because the ability to integrate biblically is paramount to understanding our clients and who they are and where they come from and where we hope.
For them to ultimately go, I love teaching students who are new because I still remember what it was like to be new, though it was a while ago when I was a student, there have still been many challenges along the way, which I was the new person. Nobody likes to feel that they don't have full confidence in what they're doing.
Nobody likes to make mistakes, but I have been the beneficiary of. of wonderful cheerleaders over my lifetime, showing me that you might've made a mistake, but the focus is not on what you did wrong, but what can you learn from it? And I want to do the same for my students. I want to come alongside them and primarily encourage their walk with the Lord and their spiritual development, but also instill skills so that they are effective, useful helpers.
Yeah.
A as you think of the students in your classes, in the generation that's coming up that you are teaching, what are some traits that are unique to them or that, could really be used in the field of social work that you see in your students?
Well, a couple of strengths that I see with Gen Z who are my current students is it never ceases to amaze me how quick they can adapt to technology and their ability to learn things so quickly. They can if there's a new database that we're using, they could do it one time and it seems like they just know the ins and outs right away.
And so I think that their ability to know and understand technology and adapt to different work environments, they will be able to get up to speed very quickly. which I think is a good asset for them that they can adapt to, the world and that there's less intimidation of trying new things, when it comes to technology.
I do think that Gen Z is also very committed to social causes, whether that's social justice or, the environment or client climate change, diversity.
I think that they're very comfortable using a variety of platforms like social media to advocate for change and to push for accountability. And I think that their awareness of these challenges and their willingness to engage in activism is a defining strength for Gen Z.
They won't sit idly by and allow others to take advantage of the vulnerable, which is a core principle for social work. We want to advocate for the marginalized and the oppressed.
Every generation has challenges, but also many strengths. As social workers, we want to assess and we want to operate from a strengths based perspective.
It's very easy to see liabilities, whether that's with a generation or a group or even individuals. Okay. How easy it is to criticize, but how difficult it can be to point out strengths. And I'm not immune to criticizing Gen Z or baby boomers or someday it'll be Generation Alpha. We will all find a bone to pick, but hopefully we can also find significant strengths that we can bring to the table to work together.
Okay.
to shape the minds and hearts of people.
It's a great perspective, and I think we've seen that ring true with the students that we're engaging with as serving coaches walking with them as they're exploring potential serving opportunities. With one collective and even with your students in particular, we've seen, just the hunger, to be a part of the solution, to various injustices they're seeing around the world and, to stand up for the vulnerable and the oppressed.
And, we've seen that in your students. So it's very encouraging to see. That you feel the same way and, that this is a trait that we're noticing across the board with Gen Z. So that's exciting. So Melissa, could you tell us about a lesson or two that you've learned along the way throughout your career so far? As you've, transitioned through various roles and now you are where you are instructing future students and future social workers.
I tend to be a very driven person. The flip side of that is I can be a little stubborn. I know what I want and I will work hard to. to work towards a goal. And something that the Lord has had to develop in me over the years is flexibility.
We know from Proverbs 16 that man plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps. And I said at the beginning that when I started in social work, I was sure that I would work in mental health with children and adolescents. And the Lord has yet to bring that to be my exclusive. role. And I have had to hold my plans very loosely.
I have had a handful of social work jobs that I've really enjoyed. My husband and I also adopted a child from China that has come with a lot of joys, but a lot of challenges. And I think that if the Lord had shown me when I was 20, and I was at Cedarville, and I was questioning all the time, what am I going to do with my life?
Who am I going to be? Or this is who I'm going to be. How am I going to get there? If the Lord had opened up a picture frame to where my life is right now, I don't think I would have been very excited about it, thinking that's not what I really wanted for myself at all. I wouldn't have chosen that. But as I look back on my life, Now, having gone through a variety of seasons and changes, I can receive it with joy because I have made many relationships along the way.
I've met a lot of wonderful people and I've seen the Lord work. tremendous things in my life to bring my family or myself where I am now. And so one of the greatest lessons that the Lord has taught me and is still teaching me is to be flexible. The other one would be that the Lord is still working out my understanding of the role of suffering.
For the life of the believer and the unbeliever. One of the classes that I've taught here before is crisis intervention. And I've shared with my students that, to be a good social worker or really even just making it through the church, or just this world is this understanding of the role of suffering. And I know it's talked about in philosophy classes and many people will use this as. a cornerstone for why they do or do not believe in God. But I often tell my students that I have had patients, that are from the cradle to the grave. And sometimes that distance is very small. And when I started out in hospice and I still work in hospice and also at our children's hospital, people pass away that to the human mindset seems not right.
If they're taken too soon or it doesn't seem to fit in my worldview of, what life should be.
And the Lord has had to work out a lot of reframing perspectives in my head and in my heart of how the Lord uses some of the most difficult and challenging circumstances to reveal himself and to point others to him.
And I'm thankful for that. I have gotten to see the Lord work in ways that. I would have never expected, social workers have a front row seat to suffering and you see some of the worst. And where I can be thankful for that is I can also see that this is not the world that God designed. I see why God designed the order that he did because this is not what he wanted.
But I can also see how God redeems it and brings people to himself.
Would you be comfortable sharing a little bit more of your personal story with adoption?
And just how the Lord has worked in your family?
Sure. So when I was in my first year at Cedarville, one of my social work friends that attended my church posted in the church Facebook group that there was a child from China that was needing to come temporarily for burn treatment. He was, around four or five at the time. And so our understanding is that he'd be coming in the summer for burn treatment. So my husband, who is working part time and then I was working full time at Cedarville, is going to be off over the summer. And so we agreed to host this child. He ended up staying for about 15 months. And then he went home, back to China and his parents had expressed interest in him staying permanently when he came when he was five, and then turned six.
But that was at the time we're like, we have a one year old, a three year old. We just did not feel that was what, where the Lord was leading us at the time. And so he returned home to his family in China. And three years later, we received some notifications that he had to come back. So in 2018, he returned for additional surgeries, reconstructive surgeries for his face. And over the course of the time he was here, we had been approached many times by his family asking if we would consider adopting him. And for a variety of reasons, my husband and I said no. You know, we felt that it would be best for him to return to his home culture and his family. family, but we were approached a final time in 2022.
And after praying about it and discussing it, we decided that we would move forward with an adoption. And so last year in August of 2023, the adoption was finalized.
And how old is he now?
Joey is now 14.
Yes. Wow. So this came knocking on your door. It wasn't something you sought out.
Yeah,
Yeah. And, we love Joey and the Lord knit our hearts to his right away when he came. But, working in social work, I also recognize having seen a lot of children go through, foster care that no matter the circumstances that a child comes from, many of them still crave their biological families.
And so even though my husband and I from the outside had some economic advantages, we recognize that the deepest desire of a child is to be with their family. And so we didn't want to take the easy road to say just because we have some opportunities that he doesn't means that he automatically would be a better fit here.
But over the course of years and seeing some of the special needs that he had and, the way in which his parents approached asking us to. Please consider it. We really felt that the Lord was tugging on our hearts to be obedient in this way. So again, it was not, I had mentioned that sometimes we look back in our life, we would not have picked it.
Joey is now the eldest. And so it upset the birth order, which came with a lot of challenges with him being the. And it is not a decision that my children took lightly either. It was a very difficult decision for all of us to make. And I think sometimes when something doesn't feel easy, it doesn't feel right.
Um, and sometimes following the Lord will come at a cost that we are not expecting to pay. And so we love Joey and we want what's best for him. And the Lord just opened a lot of doors showing that the next step would be for us to pursue a legal adoption.
That's a really important point about something not feeling right because it's not easy for us that we assume that if it's the right road that God will line everything up and it will be the simplest answer but it's not. Many times that's not the case and there is, sacrifices that are involved and, that it does come with, trust and obedience
yes. And sometimes, obedience is It's hard. When I was a college student, I remember thinking that obedience would seem so obvious because it would in many ways make my life easier, but obedience always makes our life better, but it's not always the easiest choice.
Melissa, you've mentioned the concept of, having multiple tools in your toolbox to be able to serve God in the ways that he's leading you. Talk to us a little bit about that. What would be some tools that you would say maybe every Christian should have in their toolbox, and then are there some more specifically really helpful for people going into social work or ministry?
Yeah. Can you open that up for us?
So I think a basic life skill that everybody needs would be the ability to engage others. Even if we believe differently, even if we see the world differently, we recognize that just because somebody thinks differently about a social problem or political issue or even a religious topic. That doesn't mean that we have to be afraid or that is some time somehow going to compromise our belief about a topic.
So the ability to engage someone, whether that's a different gender, a different sexual orientation, a different race, a different language, the ability to meet them where they're at, not so that we can change their mind, but because they're made it. In God's image and they are a fellow image bearer. So the ability to engage with another person, I think, is so critical and the ability to hear things without being defensive, I think, is also very important in regards to social work.
I think our ability to. Not react. So number one, hopefully they have the ability to engage with others. But then two, the self restraint from needing to fix something right away, to start meeting people where they're at, to hear where they're coming from, and to do a thorough assessment so that we're not just jumping in and fixing it, but that we're truly meeting them on their level.
While also maintaining our composure. You know, over the years I've heard a lot of shocking things, but if I were to show that reaction on my face, that would really sever that ability to provide support and minister to them. So I think some such important life skills or the ability to engage and just the ability to.
To be with people in the moment,
That's, that's so good. I, I'm thinking of the trait of kindness and maybe that is a part of how you envision a healthy engagement with people, but there is so much harshness in so many relationships and in our culture today that kindness as we engage with people seems to be something that can go really far.
I would agree. And, that's also a really good gauge for when you're meeting with other people to see their receptiveness, when I'm talking with other believers. The fruit of the spirit will be evident in our lives. You mentioned kindness, which of course is one of the fruits of the spirit, but patience, self control.
When I encounter other people that are lacking those character traits or those, the fruits in their lives, I recognize that my conversation is probably going to be limited, meaning I'm not going to get very far in a meaningful discussion. And I need to approach that with some wisdom, but you're exactly right.
We are looking, to meet people where they're at. Proverbs 15 one. We know that a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up strife. Memorizing 15 one is good for anybody in ministry. We recognize that reacting and being quick tempered is not a spiritual gift. If anything, that's the opposite of how we want to come across.
I appreciate your raising the topic of the fruit of the spirit. And that's something that will grow in students lives. Over the decades, it's beginning now, or it has begun in their lives, but that's really like a long term perspective for a student who's taking life 1 year at a time, and they're focused on like their exam today and their graduation this semester.
We learn this perspective, of course, the fruit of the spirit by living it and by God producing this fruit from within us. He produces it. It's his fruit. And then also by hearing stories and internalizing stories of others who have grown in these areas. I'm wondering, For students who, like, how do you talk about the fruit of the spirit with in growing the fruit of the spirit with students who are really pretty early on in their young adult growth pathway?
So number one, how do we get to know who God is through reading his word? God reveals himself. And so when someone is early on in their journey or at the end of their journey reading God's word and being faithful to living out what God has planned for us. And so how do I teach the fruit of the spirit would be through studying God's word, but then also obedience.
I think that when we are living our lives, surrender to the Lord, we are going to be serving his people.
It's
amazing. Related topic. Self awareness, we have the potential to grow in our awareness of who we are and these traits through lived experiences, through taking in scripture and seeing what God says and saying, here's my life experience and it's, can be a really bumpy ride, but it takes time to grow fruit.
And so it's through this lived experience that we have and our life with God, that we have the opportunity to grow in our awareness and grow in the fruit of the spirit.
Yeah, there's no shortcuts to growing in the Lord. And when I was a student at Cedarville, Dr. Bill Brown used to say often that a faithful life is comprised of faithful days. which leads to faithful weeks, which leads to faithful months, which leads to faithful years, which will lead to a faithful life.
You'll never become tomorrow who you're not becoming today. And he would say that to us often, essentially just reminding us that again, there are no shortcuts. And so we're never going to wake up. Tomorrow and say, okay, today I am going to decide that I'm going to have a faithful life and that will
Yeah. Yeah.
It is a daily surrender and a daily walk with the Lord I have mentioned lessons that I've learned over the last 15, 16 years in social work, but Lord willing, I will still have another 30 years ahead of me. So how I answer the question then is probably different than how I would even answer the question
absolutely.
And that's a wonderful thing. We see how God has been faithful to his saints. But again, it's, there's nothing intrinsically more special about them than anybody else. Think of the disciples, who they were when they started is not who they were when they ended. But it's not because they were these wonderful people with faith that we could never aspire to.
It 100 percent is the transforming power. of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It had nothing to do with who they were as humans and everything to do with the work of the Holy Spirit, in their lives. And so just being faithful to where the Lord calls you, that's. That's all you can do. Be faithful with the little that he has given to you in that moment.
And when you're a student, I remember getting very restless, thinking that sometimes I'm wasting my time. I could be going out and reaching the world. I could be going out and feeding the poor. You know, why am I sitting here going to class every day? And it's because I was building the tools in my toolbox.
Yeah.
And I was developing the skills that I needed to be able to go out later. And that was not a waste of my time. That was part of the Holy Spirit and the Lord developing skills. in my life. We know Jesus was a carpenter before he started his ministry, but Jesus was not born as a newborn as a carpenter. He had to learn the trade and he became a carpenter eventually, but even Jesus himself did not operate that hammer as a one day old child, so it takes some time to learn the practical things of this world.
I'm curious, like, what does ministry look like as a social worker in the world who is a follower of Jesus? Maybe particularly in America or, if there's even examples abroad, I know that you supervise students who have done an international experience.
How do they, like, to others practically using these tools that they've learned. What does ministry, yeah, look like on a daily basis for somebody who's, following the path of a social worker.
That's a really good question, and there's not one very specific answer. I would say that I am one link in a very long chain. For instance, when I meet with a family at the children's hospital after something very bad has happened, I am not the end all be all, meaning that I am not the only person in their life that can both help them, support them, and minister to them.
So my role in the moment is to be present with them in their pain, to offer compassion, and then also the power of follow up resources, who I refer them to next. Is, very instrumental in my practice. And so for some families that are open to meeting with another believer or following up with a Christian resource, that is certainly a good starting point. I had mentioned earlier being faithful to the role that the Lord has called you to. I think that we all crave fulfilling the role of being the harvester. That is, we share the gospel and we lead others to Christ, but we also know that. Though the field is ripe for harvest, there are many steps to bringing the seed to harvest.
There's planters, there's waterers. Sometimes I am a planter and sometimes I'm a waterer, but I'm not always the harvester. And so I cannot judge the effectiveness on my role of, did my client accept Christ as their savior? Because that is not the only role. And the harvest is being the picker. There are many roles along the way.
And so being faithful to the role that the Lord has called me to in that moment, and sometimes it is a harvester, but many times it's not. And that doesn't make it any less important.
I want to ask about something different. We heard from another social work professor about using the strengths perspective to help people solve problems. And that could be your clients, or it could be yourself, or it could be anyone, who uses this approach to tackle a problem in their life.
So after learning the concept, in social work and then teaching others to think this way, have you seen it in your own life? Be instrumental, in, in using a strengths perspective to, to address your own challenges.
Let me start by saying the Lord created us all with gifts and abilities, and sometimes our greatest strengths can also be our greatest liabilities. I tend to be a verbal communicator and a verbal processor. The flip side of that is I can put my foot in my mouth and say things when I shouldn't or not how I wish that I said it.
And, I've come alongside students that are the opposite and they've said, I hate that I freeze up. And in my mind, I'm thinking, I wish I could freeze up sometimes I have the opposite problem. And so in my own life. Yes, I see that the Lord has given me some gifting, but it has not come without its fair share of challenges.
And so I have been so fortunate to have had a couple of people in my life come alongside me. One is my dear coworker, Professor Huff, who has pointed out lovingly when it, My liability piece is showing, but also when he has provided encouragement of that is such an area of giftedness for you. You are able to do that so well.
And so my hope is that I'm able to be a cheerleader. I have a strong personality and. I was the third in my family and probably appeared that I was probably the hardest to get along with because I had a lot of ideas and it had to be my way.
And as now as a parent, I can see what a challenge that is to parent a child That is so strong willed, but it wasn't until I was in college where I fully heard what a strength that could be if I allowed the Lord to use that for his glory, as opposed to just hearing what a liability and I needed to get this out.
You know, you're going to have to figure out how to. this out of you. It was the first time someone really said, do you know what a gift this would be in social work? And I, I never did. I never really thought about that. We had talked about briefly that I had worked in hospice
care and sometimes having end of life discussions are very hard and to talk about death and dying is very taboo and to be with families at the bedside when their young child or baby has died.
It's very difficult, but the Lord has used some of that wiring. That he knows my frame and he made me that way. And I don't always use it for his glory, though. I would like to, and hopefully as I get older, I'm using it for his glory and not my own more and more, or to just use it as a platform to state my opinion.
But, um, you know, the Lord has, has. strategically put me in situations where I have to be a little bit more bold than maybe some social workers would like to be, to say things that are hard or they don't want to. And it has served the Lord well, it has served my profession well, and I can only thank him for that.
You know, you've given us a lot to think about here and, some of your own life lessons and advice comes from your experience and walking with the Lord. Is there any like final parting words or advice you would want to give to young people who are navigating significant choices as they transition from teen to young adult and going on in their careers and any words of advice for them?
Well, I have many just because I remember how hard it was to be a young adult. I felt that anxiety of needing to know what I was doing and to plan my life and to know. And I just want to encourage you that whatever you pick now, if it's a major or if it's are you going to go on this trip or take this internship, that making a decision is not going to place you on a plan B.
path for life. Where the Lord wants you, He will bring you to. I had mentioned Proverbs 16. 9, that man plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps. And the Lord will lead you where He wants you to be. So take courage. It's okay to try things just to see if you like it. I know how anxious we have become as a culture of, um, in the world of social media that we live in, knowing that we are hyper judged and hyper criticized and we want to have our life smoothed out, but just know that that this is a great time to just get your feet wet and try new things.
Try something that you might not normally try. Take a class to just expand your thinking and your critical thinking skills. My hope for you is that you will not be held back by the fear of the unknown or the fear of what others might think or say. My hope is that you will take advantage of opportunities.
Recognizing that confidence will come as you learn new things. And so even if something is hard to try, try it anyway, and you will still learn new things. And you may decide it's not for you, and that's okay. Maybe you take a class and you're like, yes, I am sure now that I hate crochet. That's fine, but now you know!
And it's not just a guess, now you know. So try something.
And do things that scare you, too.
Yeah! That's right. And the Lord does not slumber if this is something that if you're walking with the Lord and pursuing, his plan for you, he's not going to make his will known. By talking to you. in a dream and that you slept through, he will lead you where he wants you to be. And not everything is a moral decision.
God is not going to be upset with you if you pick a prison over a juvenile detention center. And it's good to try things to go outside of the box.
Thank you. This was really helpful, I think, for both us and our listeners, which are generally students. So thank you for sharing your wisdom, for sharing your experiences, the lessons you've learned, and yeah, just words of advice for our audience. We really appreciate your time today.
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