Why do you serve?

Convoy of Hope mobilizes, resources, and trains churches and other groups to conduct community outreaches, respond to disasters, and direct other compassion initiatives in the United States and around the world. The mission of Convoy of Hope is to transform entire communities with compassion, one life at a time.

Hal Donaldson, president of Convoy of Hope, is a life that was transformed by compassion. In 1969, his parents, Harold and Betty Donaldson, were hit head-on by a drunk driver. Harold was killed; Betty survived but was immobile for some time, unable to work or cook. Their four children experienced first hand what it is like to go without many of life’s basic necessities, much like many families in the world today.

The Donaldsons were more fortunate than others, however. People from local churches and the community provided them with food and shelter and gave them a sense of hope. Out of that experience, Convoy of Hope was formed in 1994. What began by networking with churches within communities became citywide outreach events that would give away groceries, help people find jobs, and present the Gospel.

Convoy of Hope plans over 50 outreaches each year in communities across the US. An outreach is a one-day special community event designed to meet both human and spiritual needs of impoverished families. One such event was held in Roswell, GA on Saturday, April 18th, 2009.

I attended the event and witnessed countless examples of God’s people doing His work. There were parents and teens staffing the children’s playground area, spinning cotton candy, painting faces and making sure each child got a turn in the fun. I saw fathers standing over hot grills while moms and still other teens handed out sack lunches of hotdogs and chicken sandwiches. Photographers took over 400 free family portraits while barbers and stylists clipped their way through over 550 free haircuts. Doctors and nurses performed free health screenings, countless bags of groceries were donated to thankful people, Believers held hands with strangers and prayed with them, men and women sat down with the jobless and helped them to write resumes, and many community service organizations and ministries gave away resources, including over 1000 backpacks stuffed full of school supplies.

All in all, nearly 2500 people came to receive help, food and fun at the Roswell Convoy of Hope on that Saturday. But I didn’t attend the event myself to learn more about them. I was interested in the 1508 volunteers, many who had been at the event since 7:30AM, who gave themselves away for a day in the name of God. I had only one question in mind as I stole a few minutes from many of the volunteers. “Why do you serve?”

The first person I asked was serving in the children’s’ play area. “I know that times are difficult for many right now,” he said, “and those are the times when God is loudest in His call to me to serve. I simply couldn’t ignore what he was asking me to do.”

Next I walked up to a young women dressed as Snow White; she was surrounded by adoring children. When I could finally get near her, I asked my question. “I wanted to show people love in the same way God has shown me His love,” she said. “In the same way Christ cared for strangers, we are to care for strangers. It is Christ-like love when you give to and serve someone you don’t even know,” she explained.

Others told me that serving was simply to do what God had created man to do, that reaching out to others was to demonstrate God’s grace, and that to step outside of one’s comfort zone to be among those with less is to honor what God has blessed you with. Many said that by serving they were planting seeds of hope, hope that God can and will deliver us from our trials. One man said that to serve is to be obedient, and he said so with a joyful smile on his face, and his friend chimed in with “… and to show the fruit of the Spirit!” And then they returned to their labor, unloading bags of ice to cool the bottled water being handed out.

Another volunteer I spoke with shared an interesting observation: many times people don’t trust free services; they think there is a catch involved. “To be here and give away lunch, school supplies, bags of groceries, and haircuts, all for free, is to prove that the love of God is free, that salvation is free to all of us!”

While I was scribbling down notes and quotes one gentleman walked up to me and asked if I was a reporter. “I have something to say,” he insisted. “I think a mistake churches have made is to be so vocal about the things they are against, instead of being vocal about the things they are for. To be here today serving others is to prove that churches can also be for something, something that everyone can see is good.”

The last volunteer I spoke with after interviewing many during two hours was a pastor. “We are helping people to believe that all good things come from God.” He paused and surveyed the hundreds of people surrounding us where we stood – children with full backpacks, moms holding smiling children with painted faces and sticky fingers, dads with fresh haircuts carrying bags of groceries to the car. When he looked back at me his eyes were moist. “We should do this all the time,” he concluded.

I learned later that 195 adults and children accepted Jesus that day. Yes, indeed, we should do this, serve, ALL the time.