When I was seventeen or eighteen and in the US Navy, my shipmates were always amazed at me the way I habitually stepped forward and volunteered for unusual extra duty jobs. They thought I was sick in the head and gave me no end of grief and good-natured kidding about it: “There goes Weber, volunteering again!” I have to admit, sometimes I was given some pretty dirty jobs like being a “dive bomber,” which meant I had to walk around the base for a few hours with a long stick with a nail on one end and pick up trash and cigarette butts. Or, there was the time I was put to work in the mess hall scrubbing a mountain-sized stack of greasy pots and pans. Not fun but, the cooks ever-after, gave me all the steaks, ice cream and pie I could eat anytime I dropped in to say”Hi!” That was great! Another time I volunteered to be part of the crew that would fly to Beaumont, Texas, go aboard a tug boat, put her in commission, and then sail her back along the beautiful Gulf coast to our home base at NAS, Pensacola, Florida. What a great vacation-like experience that was! I still think about that wonderful adventure with fond memories. In short, my habit of being a volunteer transformed my years in the Navy from gross boredom, to day-after-day of interesting new things to do and see and experience. I met new people, saw different places, got to travel and learned much more than I would have in what was usually a rather dull humdrum, dally grind.
In the years since, I’ve learned that even God has a need for willing volunteers:
“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, here am I send me.” (Isaiah 6:8).
I’ve also learned that, generally, most Christians, just like my old shipmates, are reluctant to volunteer for the “unknown.” They think it’s too risky, too dangerous, or they simply say: “I’m too busy, Lord.” Please listen to me: I know what volunteering is all about and you should really give it a try; even make it a way of life for yourself because it add joy, excitement, flavor and spice to your days! So, next time you hear that there is a need – step out boldly, trust the Lord, and make yourself one of the Lord’s chosen – Christian volunteers!
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