Dinner with Strangers

Justin, Zeb and I volunteered our afternoon and evening serving a Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless.

It was so inspiring to see Zeb work so diligently. He has volunteered for years with his Gramma A. for Ronald McDonald but never has the opportunity to see who he is helping. Tonight however, he really shined. He worked as a runner and we hardly saw him all night as he brought out more food, cleared away empty plates, refilled drinks and helped anyone or anywhere he could. Even after most people pooped out, or when the rest of the volunteers were eating, he was still working hard (he didn’t allow himself to eat until he was so hungry he was shaking).

I was so happy that the kids who volunteered were welcomed, trusted with real tasks and treated so normally. It was evident in all of their eyes how purposeful they felt. And really what better way to feel as though we have a purpose than to serve others in need; to extend ourselves beyond our comfort zones; to remember how blessed we are and share those blessings with others?

It’s makes me sad that we don’t do these things as often as we’d like. There is no good excuse, either. We just allow too much time to pass without making an effort to prioritize. But I’m so thankful for my mom’s church and my parents for giving us this opportunity tonight.