I am so thankful to have the opportunity to give back and serve in meaningful ways. This year for my Helpers of People Leave I worked with Beltway’s Boots on the ground ministry. My plan at the beginning of the year was to serve at my church’s (Beltway) kids camp but COVID happened and things changed. God wasn’t surprised though! When summer began drawing closer, I began to panic because I didn’t have a plan and couldn’t think of a meaningful way to serve in this mess. In one of my attempts to find a way to serve, I reached out to Jeff Smith (aka Fuzzy) who heads up Boots on the Ground. I imagined physical labor and serving in a manual capacity since that is what this ministry does at it’s heart. However, the Lord (and Fuzzy) had other plans in mind. When asking Fuzzy if there was a way I could serve I began offering ideas, but he immediately jumped at the opportunity and responded “Excel!” I’ve done some volunteer work with Beltway’s men’s ministry in the past and Fuzzy has watched my handiwork, so he knew he was asking something I was capable and willing to do. It’s incredible to see the Lord use me uniquely in a way I’m gifted and aligns with the needs of others. Fuzzy had been thinking for a while he needed some time of inventory management system for Boots on the Ground and it wasn’t until we connected that he realized I could help. Let me start by saying he had nothing at all but a warehouse full of things and some thoughts. So we had to start from the ground up and find a way to track what Boots on the Ground has in inventory and consider a way to convert raw inventory to products in some cases (such as making a ramp out of lumber). So my service time was spent getting inside the head of Fuzzy (it’s scary in there!) and figuring out what he needed and wanted and making something that would incorporate into his workflow and was also very user friendly. After some back and forth, we ended on a project that will help him tremendously by letting him be able to track inventory as well as create project sheets (and even has some fancy user interfaces to make things simple while minimizing the manipulation of the workbook itself). To see the smile on his face and the appreciation in his eyes was truly a rewarding sight. It is amazing how Jesus orchestrated our working together and in the end how fun and fulfilling it was to be able to give from a place the Lord has blessed me and help others for the benefit of His kingdom. I’m blessed for the opportunity to serve and will be checking in on Fuzzy soon to see what else I can do to help him.
Recent Posts
Archives
- February 2023
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- March 2022
- October 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- February 2021
- December 2020
- October 2020
- August 2020
- January 2020
- November 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- September 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- November 2015
- October 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- November 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- April 2012
- August 2011
- July 2011