Wearing bright yellow T-shirts, each
volunteer had a job. Some unloaded
hundreds of pallets of bottled water.
S o m e u n p a c ke d t h o u s a n d s a n d
thousands of boxes containing food,
utensils, take-out containers, and
meal-prep supplies. Some cooked
hot dogs and hamburgers in gigantic
commercial- grade ovens. Some lined
up behind long rectangular tables,
spooning barbequed pork and fresh
corn out of huge red buckets and into
to-go boxes. Some manned the area
where almost a hundred thousand
people a day would wait in long lines in
their cars, on foot, or on bikes looking
for a hot meal, water, or a bag of ice.
As I helped serve some of these meals,
I had the privilege of talking to the
volunteers. They radiated joy. They
loved serving. They were even enjoying
themselves despite the oppressive
heat. There’s something about being
on the front lines of a cause that
blesses you in more ways that you can
imagine. When I thanked them for all
they were doing, they responded with
wide smiles, saying things like “Well,
we know we are serving for a greater
purpose” and “Well, God served us
first.”
I noticed some of the volunteers wore
hats with a bunch of different pins
on them. Someone explained that
each pin represented a hurricane, like
Katrina, Matthew, and Harvey, where
they had served to provide relief aid.
Many of these volunteers had multiple
pins on their hats, ten or twenty plus!
I talked to one man who had over
twenty pins. He had to have been in
his late sixties.
“In the last thirty years,” he told me,
“I was blessed to help out in all these
places.”
Another person with a bunch of pins
told me, “Where there’s a problem, I
will go.”
“So it’s your fault,” I said. I immediately
regretted my words. I didn’t mean any
offense by it, but it was probably too
soon to make a joke.
Two-thirds of the state of Florida
was without power and water, but
thousands upon thousands were going
to have a hot meal and water because
of these volunteers. Even four weeks
after the storm, the need was still
great. Over six thousand meals per day
were served.
I think about these fearless men and
women volunteers. Most will not be
known to the world. But these people
were the hands and feet of Jesus in
horrible catastrophes. They said yes
when called and served with pleasure.
Even if the world doesn’t recognize
their efforts, God sees what they do.
And I know that one day they will be
rewarded for it.
“
Even if the world
doesn’t recognize
their efforts, God
sees what they do.
I m e t m o re a m a z i n g vo l u n t e e r s
throughout the few days I traveled with
Senator Rubio and Governor Scott after
Hurricane Irma. I encouraged them as
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