Serving and baffling everyone

Two weeks ago I signed up to volunteer at the Food Bank. I plan to serve every other Friday, from 9am - noon. I was feeling very convicted about being selfish with my time all day everyday. I didn't like that I am perfectly capable (if a bit pregnant) and able to serve the community I am living in, but had chosen to work on "me" projects all day. After much prayer, God turned my eyes to the Food Bank.

Volunteering is no foreign task to me. The summer between my 6th and 7th grade years, my best friend Shelley and I "worked" from 8am-5pm M-F at the nursing home in our town. We just had a heart to serve the elderly. We were supervised by the Activity Director, and helped with painting fingernails, Bingo, lunch and dinner, video and music time, and of course held their hands as they told us their histories and showed us their pictures. It was a very special time for me.

From there, I joined the Key Club in High School and served lunch to the homeless of Houston on Thanksgiving Day, organized Adopt-a-Mile in front of my HS, and did too much to list. In college, I continued to volunteer with the homeless of Waco, Habitat for Humanity, and worked at a thrift store my senior year. I just connect with people in that situation. I guess I just don't see much difference between their basic needs and mine. I am privileged to live the life I do, and never want to think I 'deserve' it or 'need' more. Yuck.

Two Fridays ago, I arrived bright and early (for me) at 9am prepared to get dirty. The first question I was asked, "are you doing community service?". Nope. Just here to help - which was met with a wry smile. I was escorted to the Quality Control room where donations given by HEB, Central Market, and Whole Foods come in and are sorted according to type and overly expired goods are rejected. Due to the lack of volunteers signed up that day, the Food Bank would not be getting its big weekly shipment until the next day, Saturday, when more groups were signed up to volunteer. So, we were going to do Plan B.

I met some very nice people; one a disabled man who was the volunteer trainer, one floor manager, and a lady who was "working" there because she had a mental illness. Along with two young, male probationers. Together we broke down boxes, inventoried prepackaged goods, swept and mopped the floors. They were all very kind to me and encouraged me to sit down often. I felt perfectly fine all day, and laughed when we had to take a "union break".

That is when the truth came out. I was asked again, "Now, what are you doing here?" To which I responded, "just wanted to serve." "Hm. We don't see many people just come because they want to. You don't need hours for anything?" "No. I just want to be a part of something bigger than myself." "Hm. Ok." In that moment, God reminded me that they would know the Truth by how I show love. I immediately prayed that they would.

We finished the morning with more cleaning, preparing beans for distribution and organizing the bread room. Unfortunately, my back is severely hurting and I am not able to stand for more than an hour or two at a time, so returning today was impossible. I hope to get an appt. with a Chiropractor early next week and return to the Food Bank this upcoming Friday.