Day of Service

Our family is blessed to be part of a mission-minded church that really emphasizes service. Last weekend, 12,000 people from 400 different neighborhood groups, all wearing red shirts, set out for a day of service in our neighborhoods. Some groups painted the insides of schools, some painted and did yard work for sick or elderly neighbors, some held free car washes...the projects were many and the outreach substantial.

The six of us took off last Saturday morning at 8 AM to meet friends and neighbors for our clean-up project, picking up trash along a major roadway in our area. The kids were excited to be doing something for others and with gloves and garbage bags, we set out to conquer the street.

At first glance, the roadway already looked clean. But, as we walked closer to the bushes and trees, it was obvious that our service was needed. Serving on this project with our friends, made the day that much more enjoyable. With their three kids and our four kids, we were equipped with a small army of helpers. Despite the scorching August heat, the kids dug in and under anything they could move to bag trash. We filled our bags until we couldn't carry them anymore and marveled over the fact that other humans could be so unimaginably inconsiderate.

After several hours of work, the heat overwhelmed and we took refuge under a shade tree, enjoying a much needed water break.  It was a great day of service...we impacted our community-helping to make it better, met some new neighbors and enjoyed working along side dear friends.