Since returning home I have made it a point to find places to serve. I try to serve my sisters, Jeremy, family, friends, people from church, but I wanted something a little bit bigger. I have found it shocking how difficult the volunteer process can be here in the US. I'll admit, outside of church I didn't have much volunteer time when I was working full-time. In fact, much of my time at work was spent working for pay and volunteering my time to make up the work I couldn't get done in a day. Anyways, my first few weeks back I sent in several applications and emails asking about volunteer opportunities. I was shocked at the number of people who treated my desire to do free labor as a hassle or not worth their time. It really discouraged me and made me think about all the other people who they lose simply because they don't seem to care for the help. That's a completely different story, though...
Yesterday I FINALLY got to volunteer and it was heavenly! I did an orientation with Harvest Hope Food Bank last week and yesterday was my first day. I showed up, was taken to the Emergency Food Bank section, shown how to fill a cart, and then given the reigns to go! I'm not entirely sure how the process works as far as who gets food because I only did the back for a few hours, but my part was humbling and fulfilling! I would take these little slips with peoples names, the number of people in their household, any baby information, or other special information, and walk around this makeshift grocery story (food bank), filling a cart with everything we have for them to take home. There were elderly men and women coming for food, families of 6-10 people in need of food, single mothers, people with babies, bus riders, bike riders, young, old, all kinds of people in one place in need of the same thing, compassion.
But this experience reminded me of one of my favorite scriptures in Matthew chapter 9, verses 12 & 13, that says: "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."I began to think about the finger pointing and the judgement that's passed on people every day. I found myself wondering about cars in the parking lot, because there were nice ones, and people being on nice cell phones in the waiting room, and having nice clothes, or whatever little judgements we find ourselves falling into of what the poor and helpless look like. And in my head the whole time I was having these conversations between myself and God, begging that I wouldn't be one of those people. That I wouldn't see what was on the outside, point fingers, place blame, act more righteous, but that I would simply do what I had come to do... serve! Every day we get lost in this world, passing judgement, comparing ourselves to other people, but no one really knows our hearts except for God. And since we all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) scripture tells us that Jesus came for all of us!!
I hope this has encouraged you as much as the experience and reminder encouraged me! I am so excited about my next opportunity to serve and look forward to seeing how God uses me in that place! xoxo
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