Conversations with Kim Derrick

So much happens in our little 900 sq ft basement home on Thompson Lane, but the greatest thing we do is be the hands and feet of Christ as we serve our brothers and sisters. I thank God every day for choosing me to begin this work and I thank Him even more for all those people He has put in my path to clear the way, to hold me up, to cheer me on, and give me grace, but nothing is done without Him!

I am powerless without Him! It is all for His great glory and a true effort to Make Heaven Crowded!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Once I was intentional about the desire that came into my heart, the Holy Spirit took hold of the entire thing. Most everything has been laid out on a golden platter, but that doesn’t mean that it was all necessarily easy. Many things took a great deal of patience and I had to surrender to God’s will and back away from what I wanted to do. These times ended up being incredibly fruitful.

The Lord has provided many things long before I ever even realized that I needed them. But Grace abounds for all of us, and through God’s love and mercy, we essentially learned as we went. We were fortunate to be under the guidance of the Omega Home Network out of Oklahoma. They have been a tremendous way for us to network and be mentored by other houses across the country similarly serving their community.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I went to Aquinas College when I was 30 years old. I had been married for 10 years and had 5 children. I had never been to college and my goal was to become a nurse. Up until that point, I had worked side jobs babysitting kids from my home or waiting tables. I had resigned to the thought that if I was going to work outside of my home it had to be worthwhile and be some type of service-oriented work.

Nursing, specifically hospice nursing, struck me the most, but becoming a nurse seemed like an impossible feat. I was never a good student and I knew that this would take an act of God to complete. After two semesters in, I was expecting our sixth baby. I thought for sure this would sideline the hope of becoming a nurse. I surrendered my fear to God and He strengthened me and those around me who were supporting me.

I told myself I would take it one semester at a time, and I would discern His will at the end of each semester on whether or not I would continue. I also remained committed to keeping my life properly ordered; I maintained a relationship with God, then my husband, then my children, then my family and friends, and then my school work. I knew I could not get things off balance, or I would become disordered and the plans God had for me would begin to unravel. I returned when Baby #6 was 9 months old and earned my associate in nursing two years later, 7 months pregnant with #7. I took my state boards 2 days before he was born!

Once I began to work as a nurse, I kept the same mindset of living an ordered life. Within 3 months, I was working in hospice, and other than working from home for a few years in the legal nursing field, I maintained a steady career as a hospice nurse. I have worked in admission, case management, on-call nights/weekends, sales, administration, and clinical liaison.

What are your plans for the future?
After founding the Heart of Mary House, I hope that God keeps me there and allows me to open up several other homes under our non-profit, Catholic Comfort Care Homes.

It is exciting to see all the directions He is taking this little desire from the heart.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.heartofmaryhouse.org
• Instagram: @heart_of_mary_house

• Facebook: Heart of Mary Hospice House