Day 14 of Lent 2020

In my heart, I have always wanted to do some sort of mission trip. But in my mind, there are so many questions that have to be answered.

Who needs help? Which mission trips are good to go on? Security? Do I have the time to do this? How expensive is it? Can our sons go with us?

I always have some sort of excuse to not go on these types of trips. That, my friends, is apathy. I know I am blessed by God for all the things that I have and yet, I am afraid to help others away from my home area. Mostly because it is unknown to me.

Micky and I have tried to teach our sons about other cultures, other economic backgrounds, and how good they have it. We take them on cruises which is a perfect opportunity to show them these things. When we dock at the ports of call, we have them walk around with us to see a comparison of other countries to our country.

Micky and I also have chaperoned for our local church trips in the summer. We feel that it is important that we share this experience together so the teens can see what a strong, committed marriage looks like. We also get way more out of the experience than we put into it. It is amazing to see thousands of teenagers praising God, Jesus, and Mary so enthusiastically. We try to emulate the experience at home, but it just isn’t the same. Life somehow finds a way to get in the way.

We have so many needs here in our own country, towns, and communities. We need to give up our apathy and find ways to help out those less fortunate. Ways we could do that are:

• Visit the elderly.
• Help at a soup kitchen.
• Volunteer at your schools.
• Donate things you don’t use or wear.
• Create a fundraiser for someone or a group in need.
• Have care packages ready in your vehicle for the homeless.
• Help package food for starving countries or your own community.

Those are just a few ideas to help others who may not be as fortunate. If we give of ourselves, we get back twice what we gave. We feel loved, we feel helpful, we feel blessed, and we can make this world a better place.