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Even people like me (the kind that generally live under a rock 😉) have heard about Hurricane Harvey and the devastation in Texas. And I know I'm not the only one who feels a desire to do something to help. There are articles all over the web sharing ideas of how to help, whether by donating time, money, or supplies, there are so many things we can do!
A friend from church mentioned that she is helping to gather items for a truck that is heading to Texas. She listed all of the items they're hoping to collect - things like diapers and wipes, as well as canned food items, etc. Things one might easily have on hand in their pantry, closets, or otherwise lying around. And this isn't the first collection I've heard about, there are many others doing the same thing.
But what do you do if you feel like you have nothing to offer, or like what you might be able to scrape together is so small, you wonder if it's worth the effort at all. That is generally my thought process in situations like this. I spend way too much energy beating myself up because I think there's nothing I could possibly do, nothing that would make a difference. It's a sad state of mind, and one I'd like to be free from.
As soon as I read my friend's post on Facebook, I thought of a pack of size 1 diapers that we never used, a pack I'd been meaning to take to Walmart to exchange for a bigger size, but hadn't gotten around to doing yet. One little pack of diapers. I think it said it had like 48 in the package. That's nothing. That's not even a drop in the bucket. But that's the thing, I don't have much to give, by any means, but when each of us puts in even the tiniest bit, we don't just fill a bucket, we can make a bucket overflow. (I really don't know why I'm using a bucket analogy, but I hope it's making sense.)
There wasn't much notice, she mentioned it on Facebook last night, and she needs everything by 8 am tomorrow morning to be loaded on the truck at 9. I forgot to take the diapers with me to church to give to her and wasn't sure if I'd be able to drop them off before she had to take everything in the morning. I almost decided to let it go. I almost decided to keep silent. Because was it really a big deal whether that pack of diapers made it on that truck or not? Maybe not. But maybe that little pack of diapers will be a huge blessing to a mom in Texas. So I sent a message, and my friend was able to swing by and pick them up from me.
Was my offering small? Uh, yes. Tiny. But I did something. Even though I didn't think I had anything to give, I found something. And that is what is making the difference. All of us coming together with our offerings, both big and small, that add and multiply together into an abundance that no single person could produce on their own. It's amazing.
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| Every little bit helps. Photo from my friend. |
So, what can you do to help? Can you spare a few dollars, or even one? Donate it! Have a friend who knows about a truck collecting supplies to take to Texas? Look through your pantry, what could you share? Do you have an unopened package of formula? I know that stuff is expensive, but think how priceless that would be to a mom who is wondering how she is going to feed her baby. Heck, send a can of peaches! It doesn't have to be some huge, elaborate gesture. If we all work together, the donations will add up. No offering is too small.
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Lane Curtis, 3, who's father is a Dallas Police officer, pushes a cart around
inside the Hurricane Harvey donation center at the Dallas Police Association in Dallas Wednesday, August 30, 2017. (Andy Jacobsohn/Staff Photographer) source. |
For more ideas, check out these articles:
