Hands.

Photo credit @ www.engagethecurrent.com - visit the site, support their cause(s).  They're doing big things.

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see//Brandon Heath

Saturday morning.  What were you doing?  Any other Saturday morning I would have been pulling on my beach bag and headed to the pool with Jess, texting Audra to ask her if she'd at least come out for an hour.  This Saturday was unlike most though.  Jason Sowell, a friend & the founder of Current has sent me an invite to the Laundry Love project.

Not unlike yourself I would bet, I get my fair share of facebook event invites.  I rarely click to read the 'event details' but Laundry Love caught my eye.  I opened the invite and even watched the video they had posted detailing the point, purpose, and plans for Laundry Love.  I was instantly drawn in.  Doing laundry to show love to those who may be in need, hurting, or at the very least, unexpectant.

Having stayed up later than I should have Friday night there was a moment of honest hesitation when my alarm went off Saturday morning.  I could stay in bed, take it easy until my later, 1:00 commitment.  I'd volunteered the night before then stayed out late with friends, I deserved to sleep in, right? As I punched dismiss on my alarm and my feet hit the hard wood I thought, or I could give up a few hours of my day to dedicate to a purpose higher than my own relaxation (or just plain laziness).

Current had organized everything so all I had to do was show up and love on people.  Boxes of quarters, detergent, coloring books & crayons, refreshments, and even take home bags of extra detergent were already prepared before I arrived.  The other volunteers were from a church down the street, one in Palm Harbor, and from Current itself.  Everyone involved was darling, excited to be lending a hand to serve the people of Sulphur Springs.

My favorite family was a lady & her six children.  Three boys & three girls.  She didn't speak english but her oldest son translated enough for her to understand that we wanted to pay for her laundry, provide her with soap, and offer her kids entertainment while she waited.  Smiles, it turns out, are universal.  They span the gap created by our inability to speak each others language.

Pictured above are some of this woman's beautiful children.  The gratitude spread from her to each of them as I helped them put straws in their juice boxes.  To think had I hit snooze I would have missed that smile, caught by the camera at the event.  We helped them with ten loads of laundry that included what I imagine was every piece of bedding they owned.  We washed them, we dried them. 

What perhaps I love most is that nothing about the Laundry Love project suggested a subliminal message.  We didn't hand them tracks or try to guilt them into attending one of the churches present.  We just served them.  We got our hands dirty to reach them where they were.  

I leave you, with this thought (thank you Tami Kent for reminding me this quote this morning)...

'Preach the gospel at all times - If necessary, use words' - Saint Francis