America Deserves A Raise

If anyone deserves a raise, it is a person that has played a dual role in my life. When I was eleven months old, I lost my mother at the hands of my father to domestic violence. One of the individuals that volunteered to take the responsibility of raising me (as I was in a somewhat orphaned situation) was my aunt and pastor. She gave my grandmother (who gained custody of me) support physically and financially whenever she was able to do so. She never complained about the responsibility and she always tried to emotionally overcompensate for the loss of my mother. She has acted as a motivator when it seemed that my only option was to give in to failure. She made it a point to do everything in her power to ensure my success as a moral individual and an intellectual. It was because of her persistence as a positive driving force in my life that I just recently graduated from a prestigious university with a bachelor’s degree. Although she is immensely proud, she continues to urge me to complete more schooling so that I may reach my highest potential. I know that my mother would appreciate the role she has played in rearing me into the individual that I have become.
The second aspect of our relationship is my experience with her as a pastor. I have witnessed the countless hours she would spend at the bedsides of the sick and dying with no complaints. As I became old enough to understand finances, I realized that she was doing most of her missionary work as charity. The church was not paying her as one might pay someone that exemplifies the same dedication in a company. This is due to the fact that our church is a small, family based, nonprofit organization. The stereotype of a money hungry pastor is far removed from her character. Her actions are truly labors of love and it saddens me that she is not rightly compensated for the amount of effort she puts into her ministry. I noticed that in the event that the church could not spare the money, she would often sacrifice her own money buying flowers, food, or anything that would bring joy to her sick or bereaved members. Everyday is a workday for her. Like doctors, she is on-call at all times. One can never know when a member may need counsel for bereavement or some other personal issue. In the most inopportune times, she is summoned and she never fails to respond because of her love for her work. Sacrificing her personal life for the betterment of others is the main reason my aunt and pastor definitely is most deserving of a raise.