on service...

so....
i did this little service project.
remember that?

i say little this time because it was small.
seven people showed up.
four of those were family members.

standing outside in the freezing cold,
for three hours,
i watched car after car pass by.
i watched people i know pass by.

i was so disappointed
to say the least!

i made over 100 flyers {that were placed on doors individually}, dozens of posters posted around the neighborhood, made gallons of hot cocoa, texted/facebooked everyone i know.

it was such a bummer.
i may have cried disappointment tears.

but...
here's what i learned.

 i will neverevereverever say no to helping people.

who cares how many people showed up?
who cares just how much food or clothing we collected?
who cares how many hours of mine seemingly went to waste?

not me.
it's not about me.
it was never about me.

because what little we did that day is going to make a huge difference to someone.
my efforts will not go to waste.
those three hours standing outside
to the point of painful finger freezing
are going to warm someone's heart.
the loving help from my family members,
the many hours i spent beforehand
will not go to waste.

the little food and single cardboard box full of clothes donated by the sweet people who came through are going to make a large difference for someone who really needs it.

never say no to service.
never pass up someone on the side of the road holding a service project.
never keep a spare dollar to yourself.
never hold the door open for only yourself.
never think "oh, somebody else will do it."
never. never. never.

i promise myself
from this day forward,
i will never pass up an opportunity to give.

someone out there has no idea just how much they are loved
by someone who doesn't even know them.