I Love My Volunteers!

On the Edge
January 8, 2013


What can I say?  One of the greatest parts of my job is that I get to work with amazing volunteers.  They are some of the best people I know.

It's weird.  I am supposed to have this job where I lead others to Christ.  And, I knew when I took this job that it is natural that the people I would serve would unintentionally end up serving me, too.  That they'd change my life even if they weren't planning on it.  I didn't take or want this job for that reason, but after so many years of serving in other ministries in other ways, I knew that would probably be the case.

I had no idea what I was in for!

None of our volunteers are the same!  Some are single, some are married.  Some are adults, some are teens.  Some are men, some are women.  Some have volunteered for a long time, others are new.  But it's clear to see that they are all there for a reason.

My volunteers challenge me to be a better person. I don't want to disappoint them, and so I make sure to try to live up to their high expectations. There are some ways that I fail in living up to their expectations (they never let me forget that my office is a mess!), but for the most part, I think I do ok.  I keep my behavior in check because of them.  Not just at work, either.  Certainly better than I would if they weren't in my life!

My prayer life is better because of them. Even if I can't get myself to pray for myself, I always need to pray for my volunteers! I always know what is going on in their lives, and how they need support. I may not be talking to God about my own stuff, but the fact that I am talking to God at all is big at times. And, the good news is, I usually end up praying for my own things, too! Since I'm already there!

At our Christmas party for one of our groups, we do a Secret Santa.  But the catch is that all of the gifts are to be hand made.  I love the creativity that the group brings with them at this event!  There are a lot of inside jokes, a lot of fun gifts, and all are made with a lot of love!

This year, they brought me a basket of gifts!  I didn't even know what to say!  There were fun things, like a cute and soft blanket (because my office is always so cold), and nice things, like a pretty scarf.  But there was one gift that was more special than the others.  It was a beautiful crucifix, with wood and stones that come from Bethlehem!  It is beautiful!

I immediately hung it in my house, where I have a little prayer area set up.  But this cross has a way of drawing me, like it invites me to pray!  When I look at that cross, I don't just see the love that Jesus gave me (which is obvious when you look at a crucifix), but I see the love that my volunteers gave me.  They gave me these tangible gifts, yes, but they gave me more than that.  They gave me love.  And I can't thank them enough!

It's not just the group that gave the cross to me.  It's all of my volunteers.  When I'm having a difficult time, I know that they will pray for me.  I came into these ministries alone.  Now I have amazing friends, who show me the love of Christ with every encounter!

A lot of people tell me that I really need to do a retreat for myself, so that I can be served, too. And while there is a lot of truth to that statement, those people don't realize how much I get served through my service. It was never intended to be that way, but it is what happened! And I wouldn't have it any other way.