Something is Better Than Nothing

While watching television, we often see horrific scenes of throngs of refugees, orphaned children, the poor and hungry living in fear and desperation. It is so overwhelming that often we do nothing but thank God this isn't our plight.
This week, a group of twentyfour of my friends volunteered to help at the MCC Warehouse (a wonderful, world-wide Mennonite relief organization).
My job was to sort donated clothing into huge bins, marked "infant, child, women, men". There were jackets, shirts, pants of every color and size....some needed to be discarded, but many of them were like new.
Other friends were packing & baling blankets that had been carefully stitched together by ours and many other local church ladies groups. School Kits and Health kits were assembled, packed in huge drums, ready to be shipped all over the world.
We were shown scatter rugs, made from strips of discarded jeans, and other crafted items that are sold and the money helps to pay for shipping and other costs.
A video presentation gave us a glimpse of what happens at the receiving end in Iraq, Aphganistan, Africa and many other countries.
A child's face lights up when he gets a colorful shirt, a young girl smiles as she smells the fragrant bar of soap and a mother wraps her baby in a clean, soft blanket.

We can't save the whole world, but we must do something.

IT IS AS IT IS

After a problem, tragedy, or an argument that she couldn't win, my mother would say, "Well, it is as it is".
It has become sort of a watchword/ motto for her extended family.

When things get tough or something doesn't go as planned, we think of her and we say, "It is as it is." Not with a fatalistic attitude, but with resolve and resignation ..."if you can't change it, with God's help, accept it or deal with it!" Good advice.

Different Messages

Telemarketing callers must really have to learn how to deal with rejection, because I don't know of anyone who likes them. I try not to be rude, because that voice on the other end belongs to a human being with feelings too. But isn't it even more disappointing when you get a surprise call from a friend, and after the usual nice chit chat, you find out the real motive for their call is that they wanted something from you or wanted to sell you something.

Refering to my previous blog..... a kind friend translated the Portugese response comments (thanks, Lorraine) I had received and you guessed it...it's a sales ploy. I kind of suspected that, but was hoping that maybe someone in some exotic foreign country was actually enjoying my creative writing skills.

Let's call someone for no particular reason but just to say hello, encourage them and ask for absolutely nothing in return.