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Sunday, March 2, 2014

The Green Twist Tie Cross

 
 
February 27 was the last Thursday of the month which meant that I would be pulling wagons full of food for our small town food pantry customers from 2:30 pm to 7pm. Our pantry has a dozen coaster wagons that we suggest people put their baskets or boxes in and pull around our u-shaped tables to pick out what ever they need depending upon their family size. Just some added information if you have never been to or worked at a food pantry. The storage facility is heated just enough so food doesn’t freeze so everyone dresses for the weather. We can only bring a dozen people in at one time because of the limited space so the door is constantly opening and closing. Cold in the winter and hot in the summer.

I was at breakfast with some of the guys from church that morning, as I am every Thursday morning, already complaining about the fact that I wasn’t real enthused about volunteering that afternoon and evening. That’s not like me because I usually can’t wait to go. The reason was that the wind chill was going to be -15 to -20 while we were pulling these wagons to peoples cars and helping them load their groceries into them. Yes, almost all my time there is spent outside. I had on long johns, a hooded sweatshirt, a full snow mobile suit, gloves and insulated boots so I was as prepared as I could be. By 6pm I was tired because the guy that usually pulls the wagons out with me couldn’t make it and there is no back up so I ended up doing the work of two and I was at that point as cold as I have been in a long time.

I was starting to ask myself why I keep doing this when some of the people that come arrive with cups of coffee from Starbucks and cars that are much nicer and newer than mine. Then I remind myself that the majority of people that use our food pantry really do need the help at this point in their lives. It had really slowed down about 6:15 pm but we said we would be open until 7 so we really couldn’t leave early. It was then that I pulled a wagon of food out for a mom and her daughters, probably 8 and 10. As I got done loading the food into the trunk the younger girl handed me a cross made of two green twist ties, the kind you get in the veggie section of the grocery store and said, “thank you for all this food.” Her mother looked at me and said, “she doesn’t give crosses to very many people”. I can tell you I was just about in tears and I realized exactly why I do this every month. Yes, that green twist tie cross will remain on my dresser for a long time to remind me how blessed I am to have all that I have. I am allowed to enjoy my blessings. But, I must remember that the main reason for which God has blessed me is so I may be a blessing 2 Corinthians 8-9:

If you can’t work at a food pantry please consider giving food or money so no one has to go to bed hungry at night. We’re a small town, but we usually serve somewhere between 150 to 200 people once a month. We started this past Thursday with only 20 quarts of milk and no bread. About half way through someone, came with a donation of more frozen chicken so we didn’t have to let anyone go home without some type of meat. Thanks for doing what ever you can do and sparing what ever you can spare to support your local food pantry.

 

Love and Blessings,

Just a guy trying to connect some words