February 20: Few Hours of Service, Meat Auction, God's Love Number Three

During the next several months Ives sent the center several large boxes of art supplies and paper from the office, and every so often on a Sunday afternoon he would go up to run a workshop for the kids, work that Ives much enjoyed, as it got him outside of himself.  He did this, either alone or with his daughter or Annie, on and off, for five years, and with those few hours of service, found an agreeable way of passing his time.

Ives is a good guy.  Even in the face of immense grief, years of depression, he helps people out.  Volunteers his time and talents and resources at a community center.  It brings him some solace to work with underprivileged kids.  Takes his mind off the hole his son's death has left in his life.  And he gets to spend time with his wife and daughter.

My wife and I are going to a meat auction this evening.  It's a fundraiser for my wife's sister, who is raising money for an Avon breast cancer walk in October.  It's a great cause.  I have no idea what happens at a meat auction.  I'm pretty sure it doesn't involve strippers or thongs.  More like hamburger, steak, and sausage.  For a few dollars, we'll be helping out breast cancer research.  And that's God's love in this world.  Helping out.  Making small changes.  Really small changes.  We'll be lucky if we can afford a hot dog.

I've always enjoyed volunteering.  Some of the best times I've had as a teacher occurred in grade school classrooms, teaching poetry to a bunch of hyped-up second graders.  You don't do stuff like that for money or glory.  You do stuff like that because it's the right thing to do.  It allows you to use the gifts God has given you to make the world a better place.  My sister-in-law raises money to fight the disease that claimed her mother's life.  I help six- and seven-year-olds read and write poetry.

That's God's love working in the world.  Fighting breast cancer.  Bringing art into young people's lives.

Saint Marty has some meat to buy or dollar bills to slip into a g-string.  Whichever.  He's making a difference.