Volunteer Thoughts

My breath hung in the frosty air as I stood at the edge of the creek and looked with amazement at the task at hand. I was part of a goup of volunteers from the church who had come to Aldersgate Retreat Center to help with flood clean up. Our job was to pick up equipment that the flood had carried off. Unfortunately one of the things that had been carried off was the outdoor stage. A massive structure of wood, cinder blocks and composite boards ... and there it sat in the creek. The icy water swirled around it in eddys as I knelt in the frost to see if I could see where the bottom rested. It looked ... well it looked cold and wet to me.

We first tried dragging it out with chains and the trucks, but it soon became clear that it was not moving. So we slowly began the task of dismantling it board by board. Balancing on 2 x4s in the middle of an icy creek on a frosty morning keeps you on your toes. We only lost one of our crew into the creek during this dismantling phase. We finally got to the point that it was just the stage frame in the creek and we began to slowly haul it out. We finally carried the frame back where it belonged and began the process of putting everything back together again.

By mid afternoon the stage was back in place, we had corralled the picnic tables other things that had been carried off and were on our way back home with a feeling of satisfaction. I think that these service trips do an incredible amount of good. There is the tasks that need to be done and that is good, but it also does something for everyone of us who volunteer. For me, it breaks me out of the routine and offers me a chance to do something very different.It stretches little used muscles and helps me learn skills that I do not normally have the chance to utilize.  It also breaks me away of the tasks for church and helps me see a bigger picture of my brothers and sisters in Christ. It also allows me to work side by side and to get to know my team mates in new and deeper ways.

All in all it is a reminder that I cannot out give God. The time and effort I give ... are given back and multiplied over and over again. I am thankful for these opportunities to serve and I am thankful for what they teach me.

And I have plenty left to learn .....

Just Connie