6,282

To some it's just digits arranged in a specific order. The two to the farthest right is in the ones place (remember that from 1st grade). The eight is in the tens place, the second two is in the hundreds place, and the six is in the thousands place. It's just a number right. Or is it? Numbers are used to represent amounts. This number holds a special place for me and about twelve other persons. Yesterday afternoon from about 4:30 until about 6:50 thirteen of us volunteered to work at the St. Louis Area Foodbank. None of us had been there before nor had any of us done volunteer work like this. We didn't know what we were getting into. To put it bluntly, we were blessed. We walked into a large warehouse stacked in some places up to twenty or more feet high with donated non-perishable foods. Our job, soon to be revealed, was to package these items into more managable boxes for local distribution. Now, back to the number 6,282. In about 140 minutes of working, the thirteen of us (including a nine, seven, and two year old) boxed enough food to provide 6,282 meals to needy persons around the St. Louis metro. In the end, some of us were sweating, some were tired, some were hungry, but all were motivated. We were motivated to do more. We were motivated to come back. We were motivated to bring someone else with us. I personally look forward to the next time (Tuesday, May 24) that I can go back and work at the St. Louis Area Food Bank. Let Jesus shine through your words and actions. Don't be afraid to do something for Him outside of your comfort zone. Remember, it's more than just a number. 6,282!


PT