Volunteers: Flying into the Volcano

Thank you to Amy DeBurgh, Director of Volunteers & Guest Services, for writing today's blog.

If you want to know what effectiveness looks like, you will have to look hard.  A passing glance, at any institution, organization or individual, will not immediately reveal the treasure that lies within. 

Effectiveness is a word measured by degree.  The degree of something is a range.  For example something finds its place somewhere on the spectrum from worthless to worthy, from cold to hot.  The hottest volcano on earth can’t be judged by a cool photo on someone’s Instagram page.  You have to be brave enough and care enough to get dangerously close to understand just how effective that volcano is at being hot.

People are like that.  So are institutions, organizations, churches and ministries.  It takes time and concern - even bravery - to really find out which of these are most effective.  This is an important step if you want to give a person, place or institution your time, energy or money.  When you do, you won’t regret it.  It will be priceless to get to the end of your life, to the end of your wealth, and realize you didn’t toss it all away into a very hot-looking, but dormant volcano.

When Jesus said, “What you do unto the least of these, you do unto me,” in essence He was saying be wary of doing that which seems like it means something, but doesn’t.  Don’t get ripped off in how you spend your resources.  Care for the truly needy and do it with no thought of self, but with an all-consuming interest in Christ’s glory.

This is Shepherds Ministries to me.  Here, we believe that people with intellectual disabilities are created on purpose for a purpose to reflect the image of God with the freedom that comes from knowing they are a glory-bearing champion.   They are growing in the independence necessary to express that awesome purpose.  We and they have a need to be effective.  

So, to me, the volunteers who give their time, energy and wealth to such a cause aren’t missing out.  They are flying helicopters into the volcano, while tourists are snacking on cotton candy below.

Speaking of cotton candy, it is difficult in a cotton-candy-world to wake people up to the reality of volcanoes.  It shouldn’t be, because hot, flowing lava is dangerous, interesting and way cooler than the passing pleasures of eye-candied, vaporous trivialities that so many Americans are consumed with today.  We can be such a distracted people.  

There are those who get it, though.  I find that volunteers are not only effective, but they are interesting people.  They are tossing off the emptiness of boring self-service and venturing into better places.  This is because they are interested in interesting things.  Follow them to the real things, the meaningful things.  They are in good company.  Christ Himself ventured down.  He gave up wealth, entered time and history to show the value of serving in this sacrificial way.  And, it’s safe to say, He was effective.