I have been asked on so many different occasions “ why do you volunteer so much?” Initially I thought “ because it’s the right thing to do” but the more I thought about that question the more I realized it was so much more than that.
I would have customers at the thrift store or guest at the fresh market and I would think it was just a simple encounter but more and more those simple encounter stopped being so simple. A quick conversation at check out or during registration would remind me of something that I had experienced or survived. Then one day I said to a guest who had experienced every possible thing go wrong in her life; “ I know how you feel but trust me when I tell you God is going to get you through this”. She started to cry, as did I. I believed that with my whole heart and I hoped she did as well but what resonated with me the most was I started to realize how often I was telling various people how I had been where they were and not to give up hope. Then it hit me! I realized just how much I had been through in my life. Lots of it I dismissed because it didn’t break me or even slow me down. Some of it had been so long ago that I had forgotten about it. During a conversation with my mom about these various encounters she said to me “you and your baby sister have had some of the biggest health scares that I have had to deal with as a parent and you all are the youngest” I sat and began to think about how I was 17 when I had my first surgery with many more to follow after. Seeing many specialists and not a single diagnosis; suffering for months on end because no one could explain your pain. Then to have your life become a living breathing disaster while fighting for your life. So yes I know and understand way more than I would like to.
I began to realize more and more that my volunteering is less about me and more about the people that I come in contact with. God has taken me through the trenches and brought me out so others can see His power through me. I love sharing the love and the power of God with others. Showing God’s love to others gives me a rush like nothing else I’ve experienced. So why do I volunteer? I volunteer to give others hope through service. To smile and be kind to someone that feels that life has knocked the wind out of them; to remind them that they are loved and worthy. Most of all I do it because it is my ministry. I don’t do what I do for vain glory (Gal 5:26). I do it because there is a need and when I was low and broken and struggling someone reached out their hand and loved me and pulled me through.
I encourage you to find your place in the world. Find your rush. Find the thing that you would do for the rest of your life
For opportunities to serve the community please visit Breakthrough Urban Ministries at:
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