Helping Others

As I drove to my yoga class the Sunday afternoon after Christmas, I was listening to the radio while I cruised down I-10. Former President Jimmy Carter had passed away that day and the commentators were reporting not on what he did or didn’t accomplish during his term in the White House; instead, they focused on the volunteer work he performed over the past 30-plus years. While I continued my drive, I began to think about how important volunteer work is to the community and how it ties in with our faith.

1 Peter 4:10-11 states, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (NIV)

Each of us has our own strengths and abilities and we are called upon to use these gifts in a way that helps others. How we use these gifts can change as we move from one chapter of our lives to another. When my girls were in elementary school, I would dress up as a character from a book and read that book to their class. I chaired carnivals and book fairs and served as PTO president when they were in middle school and high school. After school-age volunteering ended, I moved on to other organizations that were calling me to help make an impact in the community.

My years of service in non-profit organizations impressed upon me the truth of the verse from Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Volunteering allows you to think about other people and put your own issues/problems aside for a while as you make someone else’s life comfortable and perhaps happy for even a short period of time. The amazing part of volunteering is that your own problems seem to take a back seat as you focus on another person and their needs. 

With a new year beginning, look at places, including St. Martin’s, where you can share your strengths and talents and bring joy to a child, an adolescent, or an older adult. I would be pleased to visit with you about your spiritual gifts and determine where those could be best utilized here at St. Martin’s.