Convoy of Hope is a national organization that participates in community outreach and is very close to my heart for two reasons. 1) It brings together volunteers from dozens of area churches and businesses, regardless of denomination, personal conviction, or political affiliation, and 2) It lifts the spirits, even if only for one day, of a city's poor, who are struggling with difficult circumstances. In Charleston, Convoy of Hope has been going on for several years, and I participated in one of the first ones with my parents around 8 or so years ago.
I won't go in to a ton of detail, you can get that
here, but on December 10th, I spent the day with Andrew and my parents' small group volunteering in the grocery area, bagging and distributing groceries to the hundreds of people who showed up. It was somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 degrees or so (maybe I'm exaggerating, but it was COLD) plus it rained off and on all day. What truly amazed me was the way that every single volunteer I encountered had a smile on their face and nothing but encouraging things to say despite the disgusting weather conditions. We worked together with people we'd never met, because we had a common goal-to help people who for whatever reason were having trouble helping themselves that day.
It is so easy for me to become self-righteous and vindictive towards people I've never even met before, and to think that since I had no problem graduating high school, college, and getting a job, that everyone should be able to do the same. What is so easy to see, though, when I take the time to really interact with people and hear their personal struggles, is that everyone is not as fortunate as me, did not grow up where I did, and despite what is said about this amazing country we live in, was not given an equal opportunity to succeed.
So, even though I went to Convoy of Hope expecting to help people, the people at Convoy of Hope helped me, by helping me remember that it is only by the grace of God that I was placed in my circumstances. It reinforced what I believe to be God's calling on my life, that I use the circumstances I've been given to make a difference in the lives of children who need to be shown love and stability they might not receive at home. And it was a great reminder that the "us vs. them" mentality I carry with me so often is a twisted way of looking at the world in which I am more important than everyone else in it. I hope, in the new year, I am able to remember that every single person I come in contact with was created by God and is loved by God, and that I need to love them the way He does. This is such a struggle for me, but it is so important!!!
And now that I'm completely off topic and rambling to myself....I just want to say Convoy of Hope is spectacular and if you have a Convoy event in your city, figure out how to be a part of it...it is just
one day to devote to making a difference in the world, and trying to change the world a little bit might just change your life :)
