Volunteering with attitude

 

I volunteer every year to collect for The Salvation Army. I’m an introvert! I hate collecting! I hate putting myself out there! I hate having social interactions with strangers—it’s exhausting! I find the time goes incredibly slowly! (I have to get over myself!)

So why do I do it? Because it is a way to support those less fortunate than myself and I strongly feel the need to do so. This year as I was choosing some two hour slots to collect I distinctly felt that I needed to have an attitude adjustment. Oh boy!

So as I started my first slot, I decided that instead of hating it I would start to thank God. So I did. I thanked him for the opportunity to serve. I thanked him that I could sit down in the seat provided instead of standing the whole time. I thanked him that I was inside a store rather than outside (it was very cold). I thanked him that the store was happy for The Salvation Army to collect inside. I thanked him for the friendly staff. I thanked him for the people who contributed. I thanked him for those it would help.

I started praying for every customer and every staff member. The time went quickly. People who were struggling stopped to tell me something of their story. What an incredible privilege and what a privilege to offer to pray for them. One lady gave me a beautiful warm hug because she had been helped by The Salvation Army once when she needed it. I loved interacting with the children who passed, offering them a card with a pretty picture and a bible verse inside. They loved it and so did I. Time passed quickly.

As I was relieved by the next collector on the roster, I felt incredibly blessed and thankful that God loved me enough to tell me to adjust my attitude.

May you too be blessed with an ‘attitude adjustment’.