Very Rewarding Trash

saturday was a work day at one of the local elementary schools. our church volunteered to help clean up the campus, repaint the stage in the auditorium, do some landscaping, put up all new bleachers and hoops, there was a lot to be done, but we had a pretty good turn out and i think we were able to finish everything we had hoped we would.

you know its funny how when i first got there, i had that instant feeling of, oh i hope this goes by fast. not sure why, i just did. it was hot, and it was saturday, why was i all of sudden wishing i hadn't volunteered to help? funny how that happens. i tried to forget about being selfish and i got over it and asked what i could do to help. and wouldn't you know i ended up picking up trash off the campus. i hard job? no! but a gross one in the heat of day, yea. i think God was maybe trying to humble me a bit =) and its funny because as i was picking up the trash i could find, and walking around, i instantly felt God tug my heart and tell me to pray for the school. i felt so convicted because for a short time i had forgotten why i was there. God reminded me. i wasn't there for me, i was there for the school and the kids. and before i knew it i realized that what i was doing was a great service, but only if my attitude while doing it was right. so i silently asked God to forgive me for my very poor attitude and starting picking up trash trying to be positive, and once my attitude changed, something inside of me changed too. it was my heart, and i could literally feel it growing. the whole time i was out there, i felt like God was just smiling on us and i knew he was proud. to see us serving others just as he did. its so funny because God never ceases to amaze me. no matter how much i give to others, he always rewards me with so much more. i left the school feeling so much better about myself than i had when i first got there. it just goes to show you that God can use us in any situation even when our heart isn't always fully in it. i didn't start off on the best foot, but God helped me change that, and i'm so thankful that i was able to serve and i allowed him to use me.... even if it was just to pick up trash =)