UDLC Stories: Diane Schueler
Diane Schueler’s serendipitous path to UDLC came from the most unexpected source. A chance encounter with a discarded pile of juice cans led her to the congregation she has called home for forty-five years.
Schueler was a young professional, visiting different churches, hoping to find the right fit. In their newsletter UDLC advertised a need for containers to deliver altar flowers to shut-ins. Days later she passed a dumptser overflowing with exactly that. After work instead of feeling exhausted, Shueler was full of energy and excitement. She found the chore of cleaning, organizing and delivering the cans to help others invigorating. She believes the experience was God’s way of showing her that this was where she belonged.
That small act of kindness became a stepping stone to a lifetime of service at UDLC. Shueler started the annual rummage sale to benefit local nonprofits over thirty years ago and remains a fixture behind the scenes each February. Her favourite part is learning how the charities benefit from the funds raised. Year after year she witnesses God’s hand at work. When they chose Teach for America as a recipient, she was disappointed to learn their typical proceeds would fall short of a fall sponsorship. That year they earned twice as much as usual and the exact amount the organization needed.
“There is so much good going on all around us. Being part of the church means you can be part of the good.”
When the world’s problems feel overwhelming, she finds comfort in making an impact, however small. “I can’t solve it all, but I can do my little bit and someone else can do their little bit,” Shueler said. “All the little parts combine to become something bigger.”
Shueler is grateful for the myriad of ways UDLC empowers her to make a positive difference. During the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq she enlisted the congregation’s help, gathering donations to create care packages for troops. Each week she processed requests and mailed several parcels overseas. Again, she marveled at how God provided. One division asked for artwork from children. Before she could think of how to find this, she opened the collection box in the narthex to discover the nursery school classes had just painted pictures for the soldiers.
“Joy is the anecdote to despair,” Schueler said. “There is so much good going on all around us. Being part of the church means you can be part of the good.”