When you volunteer as a family, you are teaching your children several things, all at once. But before we get into that, I want to ask you, what do YOU want to teach your children? What is the most important thing to you? Maybe you want to teach them to be financially stable. Maybe you want to teach them how to be a leader or how to make it to the top. Maybe you want to teach them to be kind or how to make a friend. Or maybe you have no idea where to even begin.
There are so many things that run through my mind when I think of my own children and what I want to teach them. So let's start with these five:
They can make a DIFFERENCE! Everyone wants to feel valued and needed. Volunteering makes you feel both of these things and it isn't just for adults. This might surprise some of you but age does not matter when it comes to making a difference! You don't have to have to be an adult or have a degree in order to help people. Kindness and love can begin anytime, anywhere. Even a newborn brings joy to our lives and they don't do anything except sit there... and smile occasionally. Yet their very presence overwhelms us with love. Age is just a number; kindness is a skill for all.
You can make memories TOGETHER! If you volunteer alone, that can be great for you because you get some time to think without the little ones interrupting every five seconds (I know, I'm a momma too). But imagine doing this together, as a family (husbands/boyfriends/significant others included) and watching their little faces light up when they get to be a blessing to someone else. My daughter is 6 years old. I told her that there are some children that don't have food or toys and that she needed to be grateful for what she has. Her face fell and tears came to her eyes. She looked at me and said, "We have to do something, mom. No one should have to be hungry or not have toys." We sat there for a moment because I could see her wheels turning. Then her face lit up and she said, "I KNOW! You can make them dinner and I can go get some of the toys I don't use and we can bring it to them!" I didn't have to force her to help. She WANTED to help. Children want to be a blessing and to help people and it brings them joy when they are given the opportunity to do so.
You get to learn NEW SKILLS! Maybe your husband knows how to change the oil in a car and you have sewing skills. But what you don't know how to do is fix a broken toy or fix your laptop. You can be joined together with others and exchange skills. This isn't just for you. Imagine your husband having one on one time, man to man, learning new skills while also teaching skills he has. He feels fulfilled in that moment. Meanwhile, you are learning how to grow your own food and your children are playing with worms in the garden. You feel fulfilled. Your children feel fulfilled. A family fun day (bonus: it's free!) filled with learning, helping, teaching, play, and love. What could be better?
You get to be a part of the CHANGE that your town has desperately needed. Have you felt like there is this void--- that something is missing but you can't place it? I have. It's the sense of community that is missing. People used to exchange goods as a means of trade instead of going after who can make the most money. We used to spend time together and get to know one another, while helping each other in the process. We need to have that sense of community again. What goes right along with that for me, is my relationship with God. I had something missing in my life before God brought me back to church and back to him. Community is important and wonderful. But having a community that is based around God is something that is unstoppable!
Finally, you get to GROW! It might not be right away but you get to watch your children grow out of their shell (if they're shy) and start having conversations with people as if they were talking with you. You get to watch them make friends (maybe they'll become life-long friends!) and watch them learn. You get to see your husband become compassionate towards those that don't have much and you see his heart begin to soften, which in turn, makes him more compassionate in his home life too (bonus!). For yourself, you begin to feel this value in yourself that maybe you've struggled with since you became a mom. I know for myself, I struggled with feeling like I was not doing enough even though I was raising my children! Sometimes us mommas just need to do something outside of our everyday life and feel needed and valued outside our homes too.
I hope this helps encourage you to join the community and give back! Hearts in Service is going to be working out of my home church for now until we get our building up and running. But we would love to have you and your family become a part of this opportunity to become a community again!
