Important links in a great chain

Our week in Delaware was one of our most memorable for me as we worked in the state parks on a variety of different projects. I think one of my favorite memories from the week was the very last day. We were sandbagging on the coast to prevent serious erosion near three cabins which are in danger of falling into the Atlantic within the next three years. Our group filled around 2,000 sandbags toward the 20,000 they needed. The very last thing we did before leaving was form a huge human conveyor belt to transfer the bags 75 feet over to the fence to be stacked. It was the perfect culmination for the end of our week. We were working together, transferring hundreds of bags in less than fifteen minutes. Every person was a vital part in our line—if one person stopped the whole system was at a standstill. And as I was thinking about this, I realized what a great analogy it is for our lives. How cool is it that God uses all of us in the same way in our daily lives without us even knowing it…we’re all part of this great conveyor belt for God, a link in a chain that we may never see but we must trust that it exists. The Wartburg service trip impressed me the most that week because of their enthusiasm to work and to work hard. They didn’t question the purpose or the means of the projects, they just worked at what they were told to do. It caused me to reflect on how often I fail at doing that with such trust. God has placed before me great tasks to accomplish, but usually I like to figure out the purpose before I dive in. The service trip reminded me of how much fun it can be to just get in line, follow His will, and be willing to be that necessary link in a chain that is much greater and reaches much further than we will ever fathom.

Kelly