Get empowered by reaching out…
By Tatiana R. Johnson
Life has a way of throwing you some defeats that are hard to stomach. We have all been disappointed somehow. There is a dose of medicine that requires no prescription and it is one of the most beneficial ways to overcome your own defeats.
Volunteering helped me to shift my perspective on life, during a time that I was in great transition. I had no answers but I had to make moves and quickly in order to hurry along the process of a swift come back. Although there is no definitive amount of time that you or anyone else can say — ”Welp you should be over that by now!” There is just the time of desolation and the wondering of what’s next; that helps you to get back up. I went to prayer service one night, and one of the things that the pastor said that made a difference was; “you have no idea what the person on the left and right of you are facing pray for their courage and yours. Tonight we are going to pray for each other and the person whose name is on the card you are holding.” With that, I thought my worries and frustrations are a nuisance when I saw the prayer request the usher just handed me. In that moment, I apologized to God for complaining because despite my “so called pain,” there was somebody else in the world experiencing real agony — physical and psychological pain, hunger, unimaginable loss, homelessness, issues with their parents/children, unemployment. That’s when I thought, whatever the volunteer initiative or cause, I am going to make sure that I give 110% so that they experience a person who genuinely cares about their story. Volunteering became so much bigger than a set of hours, it helped to transfer the time I spent hurting into helping. No more expelled energy on why did that happen to me? It postured me to say, where is the need? what can I do?
I’m sure that there is something that pulls at your conscience when you hear about or see images of need. Figure out what can be altered in your schedule so that you can meet a need. How many clothes and shoes do you need? Things only provide temporary satisfaction. There are people who have nothing, when you really think about how blessed you are, you can’t help but think- since I have been blessed and trusted to handle what I have, how can I be a blessing to someone else? It is so easy to say I’m busy but how long does it take to drop off gently used clothes and shoes to a shelter, how long does it take to complete a walk-a-thon, or marathon for a worthy cause, writing cards to young patients in a hospital ward? How long does it take to walk through a hospice and just offer a word of comfort? There are so many ways your time can be better served helping others. There is nothing that compares to the feeling of giving by meeting a need, restoring hope, reigniting faith, and doing good for someone who can not return the favor.
