“So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”  John 13:14

In this section of the Bible, Jesus washes his disciples’ feet, showing them how they should treat each other. Jesus tells us to serve one another as he has served us. To me, this means volunteering and helping others. I’m learning many different ways to do this.

I have learned a lot about volunteering and other opportunities to help people through church. I’ve gone to Feed My Starving Children, led groups at Vacation Bible School, volunteered in the nursery, and read scriptures at services. Feed My Starving Children was an amazing experience because it made me realize that I could help make a difference in someone’s life. I love volunteering at Vacation Bible School and in the nursery because I get to help kids learn about God.

One of my favorite volunteering opportunities is helping with the adaptive dance class at the Phipps Center For the Arts. The girls come each week with lots of energy and big smiles. I get to teach them how to dance, which is one of my favorite things to do. I am so blessed to be able to share my passion with these amazing girls.

Sometimes, a few of the girls sit down because they don’t want to dance. One of these times a girl sat down and plugged her ears, refusing to listen to any of the other helpers or the teacher when they tried to convince her to stand up and dance. I went over to her once they had left, and I asked her if she would come dance with me. She looked up at me, then took my hand and stood up! I danced with her the rest of the class. Many weeks, she stands up and dances with me during class. I’m so grateful that God gave me this friendship.

Prayer: Dear God, please help us to love and serve one another as you do for us.  Thank you for giving us opportunities to serve one another every day. Amen. 

Betsy Anderson