Sweat and Onion Juice

This morning and afternoon, the Cleveland Mobile Food Bank came to a nearby church. Stacy and I volunteered all day, carrying people's grocery bags to their cars and doing any job that the ladies in charged deemed appropriate for "these strong young men." After several hours of lifting and carrying, we finally began to tear down and close up shop. That's when we noticed: we had leftover onions. Lots. And lots. Of onions. I'm talking in the 1,000s. 

I had two thoughts once I realized what was happening. 1. What in the world are we going to do with all of these? 2. Oh,  boy. Someone is going to have to tote these somewhere. 

The onions were stuffed into giant bags, like the pecan bags they use at the pecan processing places back at home. After almost an hour of figuring out who in the world to give a ton (almost literally) of onions to, we started loading the sacks into the backs of cars, SUVs, and a pickup truck. If you've never been covered the entire length of your arm and down your side in onion juice, you might not really understand what it means to "reek." I felt like you could smell me from a mile away. Actually, I'm still not sure that you can't right now.

Eventually the onions found a new home, in the loving arms of the downtown Cleveland Salvation Army chefs. I'm sure that they'll be put to good use. 

Why do we do all of these crazy things? Why can't everyday in a missionary's life be filled with the "big things" or the "God-moments" that we seem to hear so much about? Yes, these things can happen, do happen, and have happened in our time here, but most days aren't full of grandeur and undeniable miracles. Some days we just end up covered in sweat and onion juice. But in the life of a servant of the King, such days are just another way of giving Him glory. When we're satisfied in glorifying Christ, we can find peace and contentment because we are fulfilling our purpose. If we're all honest, that's what each of us seeks; to fulfill our purpose in life, to live a life that really means something. Through a relationship with Jesus, by living in His grace and in obedience to the Spirit, we find our purpose. And then, whatever we're asked to do, we can find joy in doing it. 

That last paragraph doesn't mean that we will always recognize the joy and the glory of God in the moment. Probably the last thing in my mind when I was throwing sacks of onions over my shoulders was "Man, carrying these onions is an awesome way to glorify God!" It's not awesome, really. But allowing ourselves to follow Jesus in His humility and in His servanthood is. Thank God for His everyday grace, for being with us even when He's far from our thoughts. What is grace, really? It's His presence with us. And that never fails.  

Today's prayer place: Vision House. 10726 Lee Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106. Please pray for more conversations. I don't mind having difficult or bad conversations, but I hate not having any conversations at all. This week has felt like we've tried to fish without casting any lines. Pray that we'll see and take opportunities to engage the community around us.

Working the Food Bank