Volunteering with various organizations takes up many of my hours each week, AND I LOVE IT! It was one of the things I really looked forward to when I retired from active teaching over four years ago. May I encourage you to join the ranks of the many volunteers if you have spare time and have not already done so? The rewards come in the form of blessings, and humor…it is usually there lurking around a corner somewhere to cheer you on!
The past two weeks found me delivering Meals on Wheels in the Worthington area for our church. I had seven homes on my list each day, and each person was genuinely thankful for the warm meal brought their way from the local hospital. The clipboard lists the names, addresses, and any little notes useful for delivery. My second stop said “ leave the meal inside the house if they are not at home”. I did that one day, then realized that I was one meal short for the rest of the route. As I looked back at my directions, I realized they were not to get a meal at all that day! Seeing my error, I retraced my steps back into the house and carried the meal back to my car. It was then that I realized that a neighbor had watched my every move into and out of the house, both times carrying the same container of food. Not sure what he might have thought my problem was!
Another day found me driving the entire route and back home into our garage before I realized that I still had the two large insulated food bags in the back seat of my car. I had totally forgotten to return them to the hospital. Because I was also teaching Release Time in Fulda that afternoon, my trek back to Worthington to return the bags had to wait a few hours. I felt better when the cooks told me that I wasn’t the first person to make that mistake!
Wednesdays are my busiest days because of teaching youth group in the evenings after delivering the meals earlier in the day. This past week I mistakenly left my cell phone in the court house rest room, but didn’t realize it until nine o’clock that evening. When I checked on its whereabouts the next morning, a woman offered to check it out for me and call me back. I thanked her, but when I hadn’t heard from her after thirty minutes, I began to worry. Suddenly it dawned on me that I had told her to call my cell phone number! Duh!! I called her back quickly, only to find out that they had looked up my name on the Nobles County tax list and had found my husband’s name. They called him instead and reported the cell phone FOUND.
It is a good thing that there are so many kind and helpful people in our corner of the world. When we all support one another, life is just better. As we approach this season of Thanksgiving, I want to personally thank all of you who reach out into our community to lend a hand to someone else. May God bless you with helping hands coming YOUR way when you need it.
No degree of any kind is needed to love people. We just have to go out where God planted us and do our best to make a difference. Look around, listen with your heart. It might be your smile or your listening ear when they are lonely and just need a friend. Someone is in need of whatever you have time to give. After all, your time is the one thing other people want from you the most.
lbeerman68@gmail.com
