Hope's Youth Group travelled last night to the Kent Warehouse of NW Harvest Food Bank to sort and package food for distribution to homeless families in Seattle. I was surprised by the scope of the operation as we entered a HUGE warehouse stacked with pallettes full of TONS of donations from a variety of sources. We got a quick orientation to the facility and their work, washed our hands thoroughly in preparation for handling food, put on some plastic gloves to protect our hands, and went to work unloading and sorting several pallattes of donations from a recent Food Show. We ran across several exotic containters of delicacies many of us had never heard of, and we got a chance to sample some pure Ecuadorian Chocolate!
After the job was done those who needed them were given community service hours by the NW Harvest coordinator, then we headed back to Hope for pizza and to discuss the experience. We wrapped up with a devotion based on James 2:14-17. Some key lines in that scripture are...
"What good is it to SAY you have faith, when you don't do anything to SHOW that you really DO have faith?" and "If you know someone who doesn't have any clothes or food, you shouldn't just say 'I hope all goes well with you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat.' What good is it to SAY this unless you DO SOMETHING to HELP??"
Last night we took the time to actually MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the lives of those people who will receive the gifts we processed. Their lives will be better because we were willing to listen to the God who encourages us to not just TALK faith, but to LIVE IT OUT by the things we do for others. We plan to return to NW Harvest, and other Community Service organizations, on a monthly basis with our Youth Group. Watch for the next opportunity to put your FAITH into ACTION, and come SERVE WITH US!
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