Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve.
As I look at the images of desperation from aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, my heart is heavy. Heavy because just one week ago, to so many in that country, life was normal before their worlds were turned upside-down on January 12th. Heavy because the country was already in dire straits before the disaster struck and now they have been driven even further to the brink. Heavy because right now, besides sending money, I feel powerless to help. If it were possible, I’d hop on a plane to get there to lend a hand in a heartbeat.I’ve written previously about my commitment to service. By nature, I’m a helpful person. I’m always the person that gets sopped in the street by little old ladies for directions or asked to help people lug groceries and carriages up flights of stairs. The thing is, I can be in the worst mood and when I’m helping, everything changes. Therefore, it is no surprise that I’ve tried to incorporate service in almost every aspect of my life - in work and in play. There is no doubt that before the year is up I will visit Haiti to lend a hand. I have to.So why do I do it, you ask?Well, first, I feel that if you can, it’s your responsibility to give back. Second, in service, barriers are broken down and who you are or where you come from doesn’t matter. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve.... You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”In the spirit of MLK Jr. I will spend today in service: painting, sorting clothes, planting and doing whatever else is asked.What about you? Make service a part of your life. Go towww.serve.gov to find out how.
