Do Something Good

I had a great experience this weekend, even though I majorly needed a shower afterward. :-)

I've started attending a very small "start-up" church that meets at the local YMCA, and one of the things I like about it is that they're the antithesis of all these giant "megachurches" that have sprung up all over the country. (Yes, the spooky paranormal writer goes to church! *gasp*) The idea at Logos Dei Community Church is that instead of building a huge membership and buying a huge building and having all the huge bills that go with it *g*, we try to make a difference in our own community by "doing good" in various ways.

By partnering with the YMCA, we have access to their facility and to their community outreach program, and through them we can identify people who truly need help, like the elderly woman whose yard had become completely overgrown, and the mentally challenged man with OCD whose house and yard had become an eyesore because of all the stuff he'd accumulated over the years.

So this Saturday, my husband and I, along with some other like-minded people, went and spent three hours sifting through junk, weeding, mowing, cleaning and doing what we could do to help someone stay in their own home a little longer without getting fined by the city or hassled by their neighbors. We were tired and filthy when it was over, but we had the satisfaction of knowing we'd "done something good".

So my challenge to anyone reading this blog is to get out there, and DO something. Visit that old lady down the street and see if she needs a ride to the store to get groceries, or help dusting her knick-knacks. Offer to walk your neighbor's dog while you're walking your own. Go through your closet and get rid of those clothes you don't wear anymore by taking them to a women's shelter. Stop by the local discount store and buy some canned goods and donate them to a food kitchen.

Doing something good for others is a two-way street: THEY feel good, and YOU feel good. It's easier than you think - start feeling good today!