People often seem confused as to why I volunteer so much at the girls school, or maybe they are confused as to why I enjoy it. I'm not sure. Either way, I'm quick to remind them that I don't do everything, and it just happens that the things I do do, like making sure information is shared via an email or on Facebook, are the visual, easy to see things. So even though it looks like I'm doing a lot, there are loads more people working hard in the background.
I guess a lot of my motivation is the conviction that God has put us here to work for the good of others, not just ourselves. That contributing to a larger goal is actually something that gives us more purpose than doing things for our own benefit. Also, I want my kids to see me doing these things, so that they learn how to love others in the same way. And if their school needs something done, I don't want to be someone who just grumbles about it. I want to be a part of the solution.
All that said, here's a look at a little project the P&C did this term, which again, I had very little to do with, but I'm proud to be a part of all the same.
We painted the besser block walls near the hall where the local Community Garden group has their set up. I did lots of the green (because it was the worst paint to deal with, and since I was barely painting, I felt I could handle doing it when I was there). It was designed by, Lis Gillet, one of the Community Garden members who turned out to have design skills.
And I think it looks fantastic. There was lots of detail, compared with the prep area, so it felt like it was taking a long time, but the results are really beautiful.
This is the kind of thing I want to leave behind. Doesn't even matter if my name is mentioned at all, but I want to have done something that's made things better, that has helped people move forwards. To have contributed to things that last. Things that change for the good. This is what God wants for us too: positive forward motion, towards love and relationship. Towards faith and hope.
I'm often overwhelmed by my slow progress, by the way I'm not doing enough, by the weight of a world that is so self-driven and competitive. But this is what I want to be working on, little by little, leaving behind small changes that make the world that little bit brighter for those who come after.
