Volunteers are how miracles do happen!

Volunteers making miracles
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
February 18, 2018

Eagles, "The Long Run" asks a question about why someone did something,

Did you do it for love?
Did you do it for money?
Did you do it for spite?
Did you think you had to, honey?

I my line of work...as a volunteer, not the one I get paid to do, I've met all kinds of people. The ones who do something out of spite, do not last long. They feed what is worse within them, then move onto a new target. 

The ones who do it for money, well, they get as much as they can without paying any kind of emotional price, and they also move on to the next thing they can make a living off of. The cause, clearly didn't matter as much as they claimed it did.

I've been doing it most of my life because of the example my Mom set as a volunteer with our church back home. She worked a full time job, but found time to help because of what she got back. As a kid, I asked her why she did it and she told me that the rewards were came to her heart, not her wallet.

I ended up volunteering at the church, the Girl's Club and the YMCA because doing it proved what she said was awesomely true. The rewards of the heart far outweigh whatever financial reward could ever do.

There are some who start out doing something out of love, but sooner or later, pride, ego or selfishness takes over, and they walk toward whatever else will make them happy about themselves. The cause they started out being dedicated to, was forgotten about. Sometimes it was because they just didn't care enough. Other times, on the surface they claimed it was not "about me" but under those words, it turned out, it really was all about them.

Then there are those I've been blessed to know, who started out doing it for love, then because they had to. Walking away was no longer an option because the work was part of them.

I am tiny compared to most of the people around me. You can see it in their eyes, hear it in their voice and know that they have something very rare within them. 

I get too angry at times. That is something I have to work on everyday because frustration manages to take over. I did not want to be doing this after all these years. I used to think that all I had to do was let people know what was going on and then go back to being living a "normal" life again. Now, this is normal for me. After 35 years, I couldn't walk away.

When people think about success, it usually means how much money do they have, how many followers and how much publicity do they get. I remember a remark made about me years ago by someone not interested in what I did. When someone asked him to help me, he said "Stay away from her. If she was any good, she wouldn't still need help." 

Well, needless to say, that twisted thought stuck with me. Had anyone bothered to step up and help, I wouldn't still be needing help, but that never dawned on him.

I know a lot of people with the power to help but they won't. The thing is, right now all across the country, there are many more just like me being judged by what is not given to us instead of what we give.

Here's a thought. The next time you decide that someone doing the work does not deserve your help, remember this.

Commissioning the Twelve Apostles depicted by Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1481.

Matthew 10

7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. 

9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, 

10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. 

11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. 

12 And when ye come into an house, salute it. 

13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 

14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

Needless to say, I shook the dust of that man off my feet years ago. He didn't win. I did. The lives changed afterwards, the lives saved, marriages restored and mini-miracles, all happened because that is how Jesus measured success. 

That is how most of us measure it when you do something for the right reasons. Want to know how you can tell why someone does something?

They do it no matter what support they were denied. It just takes them longer to do it and the people they want to help, have a harder time finding them.

Some of us do it in-spite of what others view as failure. I hope that helps you do what you were called to do because you are doing it for the right reasons and that, that is how miracles do happen!