Volunteering--Full Time?

Volunteering--Full Time?

There are things in life that light us up like a beautifully decorated Christmas tree.  They fill our souls with such joy it is difficult to contain it.  We want to sing in the streets, to dance with joy in the snow, to  turn cart wheels--well, maybe not that one.  Once we have experienced the deep feelings we have been searching for, it is difficult to return to the work-a-day world.  That world seems drab and mundane.  There is no desire to sing or dance.  We simply do what we are assigned to do, complete tasks and go home.  We know that it will be the same tomorrow.

We dream of participating in that special activity that we remember so well.  Maybe we volunteered at a youth camp and felt a stirring in our hearts to stay forever.  Perhaps we were part of a mission team that built a school or church.  During that experience we felt the need to stay.  There was more to be done, and we wanted to be part of the completion.

For years I organized mission trips to the mountains of Kentucky.  The people of that area were so loving and caring.  They appreciated every nail we hammered, every board we painted, every piece of drywall we hung, every shingle we nailed onto a roof.  They opened their hearts and homes and made us one with them.  Yes, I understand.  When our time with them ended, we were all in tears.  We knew we had been touched in a most profound way by people who were gracious in allowing us to enter their world.

After our week was over, it was good to have a full day's drive to our homes.  That time gave us the opportunity to shift gears.  School, summer work, and family were waiting for us.  We were returning to our world.  With us would be memories that would last a lifetime.

For some of us, that one week a year was not enough.  We felt the need to volunteer more often.  Volunteering can be expensive.  Usually each person has to pay all expenses.  The last trip my husband and I took to volunteer required a week of motel stay plus all meals and gas.  We are delighted we could do that.  However, the money needed is not pocket change.  One has to prepare for those expenses.

So, which is best?  Volunteering one or two weeks a year or making volunteering a way of life?  I don't have an answer to that question.  What I do know is helping others changes you.  It changes the way you look at others.  It removes criticism.  We become less judgemental.  We move outside our boundaries to see life as others live it.

Sometimes when I am sitting in my comfortable but not elegant home, I think about those folks I met years ago.  I think about the lessons they taught me not with words but with actions.  My life is blessed by each of them.  While I miss those times, I know that my present spot in life is probably the right one for me.  There will always be options in life.  Each one may present a bit of what we need.  It is up to us to weigh all the circumstances.  If full time volunteering is not the best option for you and your family, there are many ways to have that wonderful feeling where you live.  It is not the same as traveling away, but the needs are the same.  People need others.  We can step up and serve anywhere.

And now I am going to a funeral.  There have been too many this year in our small community.  This person was the father of twins who were my students.  One of the twins spent an evening with us.  She wanted me to read what she had written as a tribute to her father.  It was a very special evening.  See--that is service.  When you open your heart and home, others will come.  She will read that tribute today, and it will be so meaningful to the family.  And my heart will be full knowing how much she loved her father.

So, serve wherever you are.  You are needed.  You always will be.