something different

For the past few weeks when I have been volunteering it has been basically the same thing every week. I would get there; I would serve coffee or help around the kitchen by wiping the counters and doing the dishes. I would say hi to a few people and then I would go home.

This past week I tried something different. I usually volunteer on Thursday nights; this week, are you ready for it... I went on a Monday night. A group from my school gets together every Monday night to go and volunteer. So I met up with the group and we headed out. We had 6 students out and 2 faculty members. The group split into two teams. One team went upstairs to the shelter to clean while the other team worked on cooking a meal.

I was a part of the cleaning team and boy was it humbling. We went up into the rooms and at first I though hey this reminds me of a summer camp cabin. There were bunk beds and lockers. Then I remembered okay this probably isn’t fun. Full-grown adults sleep in these bunk beds because they do not have anywhere else to go. Just by having that realization it really made me so thankful for what I have.

So I have come up with a list of some of the stuff that I am thankful for:

1. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the faith and trust I have in Him
2. My parents who support me and inspire me to go after my dreams
3. My little sister who is also my best friend
4. My Nanny who is my role-model and such a strong Godly woman to look up to
5. My home
6. My city and my country. I’m so blessed to live where I do
7. My school. I love being able to go to a Christian university where I can learn and grow in my faith
8. My roommate and best friend. I would not be able to get through school without her 
9. My church family & my young adults group. I have been blessed with a church family to encourage me and support me spiritually
10. My mentors. They have impacted my life so much, I am who I am because they have shaped me in my spiritual life and my everyday life

There is so much more that I’m thankful for but if I was to write them all down this post would become a novel. It comes down to this; I have been given more than I ever deserved when Christ went to the cross. He gave me my life and I need to remember to thank him and be grateful every day. Not everyone has the earthly things that I have but everyone can have Jesus, and through Jesus we have everything.

As I’m taking a course on evangelism I’m learning the importance of sharing God’s love. After my time volunteering this week I’m seeing the importance more clearly than I ever have. Some people have a home to sleep in and some people sleep in a shelter, not knowing where they will be the next night, but we can all go to sleep every night knowing that Christ is our Savior.


Thanks for reading, 

Em