I had heard from many that serving in the storehouse, although providing only temporal needs to others, allows you to feel the spirit of the Lord distinctly. I was really excited to go, but didn't know what to expect at all. We had a sign-up sheet go around at church asking for volunteers during this busy holiday season, and only one other person had signed up for Wednesday.
Keiffer came home from work early to watch the kids so I could go volunteer. The storehouse was only about 25 minutes from my house. It was in a part of town where there are a lot of big warehouses. When I arrived I went through the warehouse entrance and walked into what looked like a tiny grocery store's back room. I was met by a few familiar faces and directed into the food storage warehouse. This is such a cool place because it is stocked with huge 25lb plus bags of food storage essentials. If you know anything about us Mormons, we are big on preparing ourselves for any disaster or hard time and building up our food storage at home. I just ordered my first "official" food storage starter kit that comes with red wheat, white sugar, white rice, and some other essentials. I am going over to a member of our church's home this Saturday to do my very own canning! I am so excited, and it makes me feel so good that we are now on our way to preparing ourselves as has been emphasized in our church. We have been storing bottled water and canned goods, but I found out that things like wheat and sugar can lasts years and years, so that is a better way to go.
Everyone in the storehouse is a volunteer. Many of the people there including those who run the storehouse are members of our church who are serving full time missions. This means they commit 2 years to serving the Lord solely and move away from their homes to serve where they are needed. It is such a sacrifice but a tremendous blessing. One elder sat me down and trained me on how the storehouse works, what I will be doing and where everything is. I then got to go stand at the front door and wait for someone to come in with an order. I was a little nervous, but reminded myself that the people coming in are probably a bit nervous too. I know that most people don't feel very great about admitting they need help, and I'm sure it can be quite difficult for some to make it known to others that they are having a hard time.
My first and only customer of the night was a man my same age with a wife and two children at home. He was a little rough around the edges with tattoos all over, but a very friendly smile. We got to chatting and next thing you know we were taking FOREVER to get through the aisles! We were having a grand time talking. We are both converts to the church and it turns out that he was adopted! I thought that so wonderful that we had something in common. He was adopted from America, but his story is the same as many who are placed for adoption. His mother abused drugs and he was taken away. He sings praises to the adoption process and is so grateful to his adoptive parents for raising him. He was picking out a lot of items for making Mexican food which I love and he shared that his wife is half Mexican and they cook authentic food all the time. He invited my family and me over for an authentic meal sometime. Funny, my first thought was "I'm not going to let him cook for us when he can't even afford food for his own family", but then I was reminded of something Anthony Robbins said in his Get the Edge program, "You can't deny others the pleasure of being able to serve you". How true is that? I know that when I serve someone or have someone over for dinner, I feel so blessed and so wonderful that I can share my time and my food with a special person. Maybe taking the burden of their having to cook dinner for their large family, or giving them a break from the mundane. So I gladly accepted his offer and after a lengthy conversation with lots of laughs and commonalities, he gave me his and his wife's phone numbers and hopes we will call them to get together.
Once the man left, I proceeded to stock shelves. I went back and forth from the warehouse and the main room to fill the shelves with generic food, household and personal items. And then it hit me… the Spirit. Somewhere between the spaghetti sauce and the rice, I nearly lost it. My heart got so full and I was so humbled by the blessings in my life. I looked at the basic food that I was unpacking and sorting on the shelves for people to eat. No chips. No cookies. No name brands. Just basic stuff to keep people alive. I thanked God for all He has given me. For the roof over my head, the car that takes me anywhere I need to go. For my children and my husband. For the military and the benefits that we are given. For the clothing I have and endless options of food I get to choose from at the grocery stores I regularly shop.
I sucked up the tears swelling in my eyes, and moved on. I was humbled repeatedly in the 4 hours I served and it was all in moments when I was stacking cans and drifting off in my mind thinking about what the storehouse represents and what it means for people to come here. I kept thinking, "How can I help more? What can I do for others that will make an impact?" In moments like these I just feel like I am not doing enough to help those around me. I have so much and at times I complain about my life, but there are so many struggling not just to get to the gym, to get some time away from their kids, or that they can't find organic chicken breast in their local market.
I am reminded of all of the people in the world who live off porridge day in and day out. Who wear the same tattered clothes week after week. Who never leave the confines of their home, or crib. I think of the orphans in Russia who sit in their cribs day after day, month after month, year after year just waiting... Waiting for something to happen. Maybe a different meal than their usual twice a day chicken and whatever porridge. For someone to hold them… for someone to love them.
There are so many things I take for granted in my life. It is sad that it really takes effort to stop and take a cold hard look at the world that exists outside of my bubble. So many people don't want their bubble to be popped, and they want to remain ignorant to the realities of poverty and neglect in the lives of others. Ignorance is bliss sometimes, but what I have been learning is that it is not. There is such joy and blessings that come in seeing a need and helping out in the capacity you can. Knowing that even if you don't make a difference to a huge amount of people, you are helping with one.
When I left the storehouse I was so grateful for the experience. I called my mom and shared about my day and we brainstormed other ways that we can help the needy. My mom says she has always wanted to volunteer at a soup kitchen during the holidays. I said, "Do it. Look one up and call them." How often do things like this pop into our head, but we don't take the time to research how to make them happen, and so we never do. For years I have wanted to go to the dollar store, buy tons of little toys and gifts for children, wrap them and bring them to a homeless shelter to distribute to kids at Christmas. My friend's mom took me at around age 7 to do this and I will never forget it. It truly is better to give than to receive. My friend has been doing this Christmas tradition the past few years called "Christmas Angel Tree" where you sponsor an orphan for the month of December and try to raise money for their adoption fund. These are special needs kids who otherwise may not be adopted, but through this website Reece's Rainbow, there is hope that someone will see their photo and that there is a fund already set up for them to be adopted, and perhaps be chosen. We want to do this as well.
I think it is important to just do something. Don't let month after month and year after year go by denying yourself and others the blessings of serving. It may be something big that you do, or something very small. Don't let the everyday and the not knowing how stop you from seeking out people, programs, or organizations that need support or volunteers. I testify to you that when you serve others, you in turn will be blessed. That you will feel the Spirit of the Lord and it will witness unto you that God is real, and that in serving others you are doing the Lord's work here on earth.
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