Reflection in the Mirror

So tonight 15 people from my church went to package meals at Feed My Starving Children.  I go to this organization probably 9 times a year to do my part.  We gather in a large room and work in assembly lines to fill little plastic packages with rice, dried veggies, soy, and a vegetarian chicken-flavored powder filled with 20 minerals and vitamins.  Each bag holds 6 meals.  And each meal, if eaten once a day, can take an 8 year old child from 18 pounds to 73 pounds in a matter of weeks.  It's amazing.

(The hubby and I at FMSC in January.  I didn't torture people with my camera tonight...)

I love going to help with this.  It's easy, fun work.  The people who work there are great and the people I go with are energetic and hard workers.  And while I know I'm doing something good, I've never really thought about my impact being a large one.  I guess I always figured, the nights I'm not there - someone else is.  Right?  No big deal.

Well, tonight our group leader made a statement that stopped me in my tracks.  He said, "tonight, when you go home, take a look in the mirror.  The person staring back at you just made a difference in a child's life."  I made a difference in a child's life tonight.  I made sure 34 kids were fed for a year by the work I did tonight.  Those 34 kids will have a better chance at a quality life, at an education, at finding joy on a daily basis - all because I gave up 2 hours of my time.

Yes, someone else could have gone - but without me, they would have had one less volunteer...  Maybe only 32 kids would have been fed for a year today instead of 34.  Maybe I made a difference to 2 kids today.

Wow.  That's something to hold onto.  How many other people do we touch everyday - without even realizing it?  How often do we make a difference in someone else's life...  just because we decided to do something, instead of waiting for someone else to do it?

As I saw my reflection in the rearview mirror on the way home tonight - I smiled and thanked God for the opportunity to do something.  What a blessing!

Things I am thankful for today:

1.  Cool breezes.
2.  Open windows.
3.  Sore muscles.  (Means a good workout.)
4.  Reimbursement checks.
5.  Thinking about my littlest sister moving into the dorms for the first time today!
6.  Making reservations for a fun night out this Friday.
7.  Dinner with some church friends.
8.  Flip-flop shaped post-it notes!
9.  Feed My Starving Children.
10.  Knowing I make a difference in the world.