A container holds lots of things...this particular one holds tents, cots, blankets, clothes and food (see the list below)...These physical items are really representational of something much bigger...community, compassion, selflessness, sacrifice, unconditional love, time, energy, financial gifts, hope...
It took many people giving of their time, talent, efforts, money, etc. to fill this container in 7 short days (with additional tents sent down) for the country of Peru who just experienced an 8.0 earthquake, killing over 500 people and leaving thousands homeless.
As I started to think about these physical items and what they represented...I also wondered as individuals, if we gave of ourselves a portion of each othe representational items listed above, how big of a container would we each fill?
How often do we give of ourselves by participating in a community effort? How much compassion and selflessness are we willing to extend to others in need? Are we willing to sacrifice our time and money for the benefit of others and yet not expect anything in return?
It was great to watch our team come together and in a short amount of time and with the efforts of others from the community do something for others that required all of these wonderful gifts. If the opportunity arises, I encourage each of you to go for it...it's so rewarding!
For those of you that are interested - here's what's really in the container:
511 Tents; 4 cots; 12 air mattresses; 1079 blankets; 7 tarps; 313 towels; 39 sheets; 2009 pieces of clothing; 900 pairs of shoes; 19 lanterns and flashlights; 10 packages of batteries, 392 various food items; 23 bottles of detergent; and 8 sleeping bags!
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