Looking Good or Doing Good?

This last weekend I was amazingly blessed to have over 200 plus friends come into my neighborhood and do a large community service project. We painted 8 houses and did cleanup and worked at a community center. I have many friends who have partnered with me over the last 6 years so this type of turnout is typical for our big events. My purpose in doing this type of work is to bring together the community to see how many hands working together can make a huge impact on people’s lives and the neighborhood.

It would be so easy for me to stand back and really think that I’m a great organizing and really deserve the various accolades from different people and other organizations. The reality check for me is that none of this would happen except for my key volunteers inviting their church, school or business to come out last Saturday. I have some close friends who have been involved for 5 years that are both part of a church and own their own business. They brought out 60 last Saturday from their workplace and painted 2 houses. I had another friend who teaches at a charter school that brought 50 students and 20 friends to bless my neighborhood. I had another charter school where the seniors came out to make a difference and had 20 students help. I could continue but my point is that all it takes is one person who chooses to stand up and do something good to change the course of another person’s life.

 I started a men’s lunch Bible Study 15 years ago and these brothers have committed to help paint twice a year. They blessed one of my key leaders in my group and made a huge difference in her life and the life of her sisters and brother. I had a couple of other close friends, who hadn’t painted before, choose to step up and oversee a house being painted. I know that at first it was scary and a little overwhelming but in the end the house got painted and everyone got paint on themselves and could see the impact this had on the family.

This morning as I am picking up material one of my new grandmas shares with me that her grandson had a stroke yesterday at work and is in the hospital. I could tell that she was a little shocked by this so we prayed for her after we finished picking up the supplies from the painting project. My hope is that we will become more concerned about doing good than looking good. It is too easy to allow today’s mindset totally color who we are and what we do. Life is all about giving and helping others and in doing this discovering who we are before God.