What Can *I* Do?

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
As pictures and stories come to us from the Gulf States, some of you have probably had the thought *I* did yesterday--"...but what can *I* do?" My in-laws are actually down there, helping provide food and comfort. (Also, my husband is 7,000 miles away, doing his part to promote Democracy.) And I'm here, making peanut butter sandwiches. :-)
Now, I do plan to collect items to send (check out the website below), and I do plan to send a monetary gift, but we all like to feel we had a personal impact on situations like this. A friend encouraged me yesterday, "You've got family off doing these big things and you're left behind. But you keep being positive--keep on keeping on." Oh, how that made me smile. I thought a lot about that. I realized that it's all a matter of *knowing* what your job is. My calling is to raise up these little ones and hold down the fort while The Ram is gone. Now, we will incorporate our "relief efforts" into our life here--collecting items, etc--but, since I know where I'm supposed to be, I can keep my priorities straight. Yes, there is something attractive about doing the dramatic things. But I'm called to be faithful to my mission. Our soldiers overseas can't rush home to help our Gulf Coast brothers and sisters. They have a mission there, as *I* have mine here.
Thinking about this last night, I heard a little whisper in my heart, "Ewe, you could be feeding those peanut butter sandwiches to the future engineer that will solve New Orleans' problem once and for all. You could be feeding those sandwiches to a future Coast Guardman who will pluck people from danger. You could be feeding those sandwiches to the scientist who will discover a cure for cancer. You could be feeding those sandwiches to the mother or father of the person who God uses to usher in the next Great Awakening." OH, isn't that exciting? But what if I'm feeding those sandwiches to a future restaurant manager? Or truck driver?
Remember the movie "It's a Wonderful Life?" I love how it points out that we *all* impact our world. We may never know the extent of it, but that doesn't matter. In the big picture, we're all just "a vapor." But we're vapors who can mean the difference to some other "vapors." :-)
So, what can *I* do? First off, I can pray. I can ask The Commander daily what He has for me to do in that day. I can remain faithful and steadfast in my calling. In that context, we will also reach out to the people in such desperate conditions.
Well, gotta run...I've got some peanut butter sandwiches to make...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

For information on giving monetary gifts and in-kind donations:

http://www.tnbaptist.org/