On Saturday, September 12, 2020, M2L partnered with DC Dream Center and other organizations such as Mission for Christ to distribute food to families of low income in DC. COVID time has not been easy on many people. For some families, the sickness caused heartbreaks and loss. For some other families, COVID and other conditions made the financial burden worse. Some can find themselves with no homes, or with homes and no food, or with homes and food and no friends. Saturday morning began, and the burdens of the people hung in the air. At 11:00, we came from our sheltered and heated homes for a service that started at 12, and we saw a line of people that had begun to form from 9:00 AM. At that point, the bubble of my little world began to burst, and my world began to include a line of old people, young people, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and grandparents.
As a planner, my thoughts went into an overdrive of what should I say? How should I engage? Before, with similar service projects, we were told we must not bring up the name of Jesus, we better not pray with anyone in case we cause offense. So here I stand thinking what words should I speak? Then, as if God is eavesdropping on my thoughts, the answer comes. The leader from Dream Center gathers us, and he tells us that the people coming today should see the face of Christ through us. We spread the hope during these times through a smile and a prayer. The food is not what matters that day, it is the connections we make and the Gospel we spread.
That day, some of us were called to be Jesus’ arms to lift heavy boxes of food. Some were called to be Jesus’ legs to run back and forth delivering the food. Some were called to be Jesus’ eyes that see the brokenness and offer hope. And some were called to be Jesus’ mouth that offers encouragement and hope. That day, we were blessed to be His arms, legs, eyes, and mouth. What we did was not a huge feat, it was a simple service, but we were called to it that day. As Mother Teresa said: “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is only a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” That day, God called us to be drops in the ocean of DC. Written by: Mariz Ghobrial, Volunteer
