Ties That Bind

A casual conversation led to an email that led to The Tabernacle Experience. We didn't really understand what we had signed on for, but all our volunteers simply accepted the calling by Faith and offered their time, energy and support in a myriad of ways.


As Project Manager, I felt so very responsible for everything. And everyone. But, the Truth of the matter is, I wasn't in charge or control. The Lord guided and directed every step of our journey. He provided exactly what we needed when we needed it.

There is a beauty in volunteering to serve, especially when a large percentage of those to be served are strangers. When we simply offer a blessing to a community, with no strings attached, amazing things happen. Yes, the Tabernacle Experience requests a small entrance donation simply to cover expenses. But for anyone for whom that presented any problem, they were encouraged to simply be our guests. I love that.


This event wasn't to make any money. We weren't "selling a brand." Everyone involved served with Grace and Humility. Our only desire was that our Lord be Glorified. And that message rang out loud and clear through all of our precious volunteers. 


Beyond the blessings to those we didn't know, we received so many blessings simply from working together as Family. I was amazed how many served so unselfishly. They not only served our guests, but they served me. It was so humbling. Whatever I needed, whenever I needed it, someone said, "I'll take care of that." Beyond that, they looked for things they could do for me. The sweetness still lingers. 


A cold drink would magically appear in my hand
A meal would be delivered to my house
A big pot of soup with all the fixings was delivered to the site for me to take  
    home to my family
The light towers were hauled off during the day and refilled with diesel
The chairs would all be dusted because of the blowing dirt
Our supplies were restocked, simply delivered to the site
A church member donated the use of several porta potties for the entire event
When a shift turned up empty, someone was always ready to fill it
People even showed up just to check and see if we needed extra help


We got to know each other. So many of us didn't know others who were volunteering. We grew to love each other in new ways. We miss each other now that we don't see each other daily. It reminds me of the verse in Acts 2, which says, "All the believers were together and had everything in common." There was such a beautiful sense of purpose and unity in service. It changed us. It changed our piece of The Body of Christ. There is a new common bond shared among many of us that wasn't there before because we have this shared experience.


We keep hearing of people from the community who are still talking about it. 


The ripples go out beyond our sight. 


The blessings still resonate in our spirits.