Getting Your Hands Dirty

When someone asks you a direct question like: “Would you volunteer to help me?” most of us feel mixed emotions. Depending on what kind of work it is and the nature of the specific task we’re being invited into, we usually feel a sense of honor and validation for being asked in the first place, a sense of thrill and anticipation for being able to accomplish something useful, and also a sense of trepidation over the risks of failure in the whole endeavor or being inadequate to the task. Most of us carry a deep desire to make a difference for good in the world, whether on a very large scale like providing clean water or food to millions, or on the smaller scale like tending a garden or caring for a pet… and everything in between. No matter what it is, helping “The Nouns” (people, places and things) to flourish is the life-blood of humanity and the driving purpose of our existence. And we can say from personal experience that our volunteers, whether they volunteer one time or long term, are absolutely vital to what we do at Engedi Refuge.

Philosophy aside, we all need to “get our hands dirty” by volunteering in some way. Volunteering to serve others is the greatest sacrifice and gift anyone can give.  It is the expenditure of both time and energy that you will never get back. No part of volunteering will ever directly benefit you, except that the byproduct of emptying yourself for others is to grow in your capacity for grace, love and life. Your emptiness creates in you a greater ability for fullness.

Jesus said, “whoever would lose his or life for my sake will find it.” And in another place he said, “Do for others what you would like them to do for you.”

These are profound truths that will not only change your life, they will change the world.

Next time you have a chance to ‘get your hands dirty’….say “YES”. You won’t regret it.