Volunteer!!

To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own          Abraham Lincoln

I just can’t get it out of my mind. All the natural disasters that have been plaguing our nation have just consumed my thoughts. The weather channel and the news are just filled with stories of the devastation, the heroic rescues and the aftermath of what these people have to face. I have been praying for all those who have volunteered their time to go and offer assistance to the victims.

Many of these people who have volunteered to help in these disaster relief situations have given up much to do so. They have left good paying jobs, families and the comforts of home. They have gone to areas without electricity, cell service and running water. They are sleeping on the ground with mosquito netting in the blistering heat and humidity. My daughter is in Puerto Rico working with the Red Cross and tells me the situation is beyond anything I could imagine. She doesn’t have cell phone service most of the time but when she does she updates me about the dire situation. She described it as deplorable. The containers filled with supplies sat in the harbor for days waiting to be unloaded. Meanwhile people in the remote areas that were hard to reach, were starving.

These volunteers are the backbone of what makes the recovery efforts successful. They deserve to be commended for their service. They are not in the headlines and arent given the recognition they deserve.

I think of all our forefathers who volunteered not only their time but their very lives to give us this wonderful country where we still have freedom. Every single person who has served in our armed forces also deserves our thanksgiving. We have no idea what they have faced to preserve our freedom. Oh what a sacrifice they have made for us. We are reaping the benefits of the ultimate sacrifice given by many who did not return home. We need to be mindful of keeping those who are serving this country on foreign soil, in our prayers.

We should all be volunteers!! Maybe we don’t possess the necessary skills to help with hurricane disaster relief, but God has given each of us unique talents and gifts. Maybe you have an elderly neighbor who is ailing or just lonely. They could use your help or possibly just a listening ear. Maybe you know a single parent who could  use a break from child care and you can provide it. You can send a card, flowers, a text, an email, a phone call and volunteer hope and courage to a struggling person.

You can volunteer positive changes in your home or workplace. You can maintain and actively demonstrate a positive attitude that will diffuse negativity. You can look at the cup half full instead of half empty. There is always something good to focus on. No matter how bad things get there is always hope for a good outcome and a God who is available to hear your cries every minute of every day.

As you pray for all those suffering from these recent hurricanes, also remember all the thousands of volunteers who have set aside their endeavors to go and be a blessing in the recovery efforts.