What does Volunteering mean to you?

So I looked up "volunteer" at dictionary.com and I found many definitions, but I really liked these two...
a person who performs a service willingly and without pay
One who enters into, or offers for, any service of his own free will
The words that pop out the most to me in the first one is "willingly", and the in the second one "free will."

Why am I writing about volunteering? I just saw an ad on the televsion this ad this morning about volunteering, and Obama pushing community service/volunteering. I had said that this was one thing I like about Obama, pushing more volunteers and community service. Then my mom said something that just didn't make sense, something about how we don't have enough money to give, and our house needed to be worked on.

Then I began thinking. To me volunteering and tithing are like the same thing. I know that they aren't exactly but think about it. Tithing you are to give ten percent of what you owe, and you are pretty much giving back what the Lord has already given you. Why not do the same thing with our time. I know it's alittle difficult to say "give ten percent," but it's just the same concept. Think about it... God has given you life and why not use that life that God has given you to help other people's, including animals', lives. The story in the Bible about the lady that gave all that she had to the church, I think that's the kind of heart we should have not only giving up our money but also our time.

I know that we all can't give up 24 hours, or a trip to DC like I did, or even going to Swaziland or El Salvador with the church. Just giving up a little time or money to help someone just because would make all of us a little bit more connected. Like the story of the drive through Starbucks when everyone started paying for the drink of the person behind them, that's something small, but it was a lasting impression on the news and it took the world by storm. Watching a neighbor's dog or kid for free. Maybe even talking to a neighbor.

To me volunteering is making the people in this world a little bit happier one step at a time. We really are just one big happy family, so why not treat everyone like we were family. I too, need to take that last sentence to heart.

So if you see someone that's alittle short on cash, help them out. See someone with their hands full and they can't grab the door. You'll be suprised how much you will be when you help and how it affects other people around you.