Sunday, January 9, 2011

Jesus Cares...Do I?

The bright Florida sun warmed my skin as I nervously walked across the parking lot of the Sanford Crisis Pregnancy Center. It was a Monday morning and my first day as a volunteer. It was also the very first time I had ever been to the Center. 
 
What will I do? What if I don’t know how to answer the client’s questions? Will I be bored? Will I be overwhelmed? Will I cry with the clients or will I have the strength to comfort them? 
 
Thoughts liked these swarmed my mind as I made my way up the wooden walkway. Well, here we go, God. I turned the knob and opened the front door.
 
Inside, the bright blue walls seemed to personally welcome me. Debra looked up from her desk and greeted me with a smile. The sunlit room was filled with white wicker furniture and a large, oak-colored desk. Magazines neatly fanned atop the coffee table and a bucket of blocks was set in the corner. As I walked across the threshold of the doorway, my nervousness was replaced by anticipation and excitement.
 
“It’s great to see you!” Debra said as she stood from her desk. Debra had taught my volunteer training classes and though I had only met her a few times, she comforted me like the scent of my grandmother’s perfume. 
 
I followed Debra down a hallway to the tidy office of the Founder and Director, Andrea. After greeting me with a hug, Andrea squeezed my hand and told me how glad she was that I came, that I was willing to help at the Center. I did the only thing I could—I nodded, still in disbelief that a place like the Center even existed. 
 
Continuing the tour, I peeked into the counseling rooms, all of which were freshly painted in bright, comforting colors. Victorian chairs and couches, end tables, teddy bear figurines, and small televisions filled the rooms. I noticed Anne Geddes pictures scattered the walls, silk roses graced doorframes, and as we passed through the library and neared the kitchen, the scent of freshly brewed Santa’s White Christmas coffee filled the air.
 
Notes of encouragement—“We’re praying for you!” and “God loves you!”—were scattered throughout the small building. The library was filled with thousands of books, movies, brochures, magazines, and videos. “The Boutique” housed clothes, diapers, socks, hats, towels, blankets, and toys—all donations used to bless some of God’s littlest children. I felt God’s arms envelop me in His love as I stood in awe of my surroundings. How amazing it felt to stand in a building whose sole purpose was to honor God! 
 
In my time as a volunteer, I saw many women come into the Center each day. The women come from all different backgrounds—some wealthy, poor, white, black, Hispanic, married, single and teens. They were pregnant for the first time or the fifth time. They were happy to be pregnant; they were utterly shocked and terrified to be pregnant. Some spoke of their situation in detail, glad to have someone to talk to. Others merely wanted a pregnancy test and nothing more. Despite their difference, all these women had one thing in common: they needed help. The Center exists to provide that help. Volunteers befriend these women—we pray for, cry with, and share laughter with these women.
 
My first experience inside the Center will never be forgotten. It’s not that I cling to that precious memory for my own benefit. No, not at all. I cling to it because I know that if I can approach these women—as well as all people—with that same tender heart, then I can better serve them…better be Jesus to them. 
 
You see, the women who walk through the Center’s parking lot often have similar feelings to those which I had my first day—What will I do if I’m pregnant? What will my family think? Will they throw me out of my house? Will my boyfriend leave me? What if the people inside this Center don’t care? What if no one cares? 
 
Like a volunteer at the Pregnancy Center, will I be a volunteer for Jesus? Will I be a person who cares? That’s the kind of volunteers He’s looking for. God wants to use people who care about others because God cares about others. He cares about the tired grocery store cashier, the stoic police officer and the mischievous toddler. God cares about the person driving in front of you and the family next door. He cares about your mother, father, brother, sister, spouse and children. And, God cares about you! 
 
So, what will I do about it? How can I show someone—today!—that I care?

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