Volunteers are never Jerks.

I really like what I do and I am reminded of this fact in funny different ways. Yesterday I spent the day leading our Jay Novicki program where three times a month adults with special needs come to camp to enjoy a day of outdoor ministry. I had a faithful volunteer today who came just to help. She took the day off of work just so I had someone who could do the dishes and prepare the craft, and make all of the transitions from one activity to the next look smooth and organized.

This woman just blew my mind because she was so good at volunteering. She knew what needed to be done before I could even communicate what needed to be done next. At one point I was thinking through some extra time we had to fill before lunch and I looked over at her and it just kind of dawned on me that volunteers are never jerks. It just can't be. If a woman is taking one of her vacation days to come and help me run a program for 15 adults with special needs, there is just no way that woman can be a jerk! Of course volunteers get little credit, and I worked as a volunteer coordinator at a senior home for a few years and know that volunteerism on the whole is on a steep decline...But it shouldn't be, because volunteering sets a person apart from the jerks.

So to this sweet woman today, who I didn't even know before she arrived, I want to say thank you. And thank you to volunteers. Now I feel like I need to go and find a place to give my time. I hope you're inspired too.