Too Young to Serve?

Our church hosted an event this past weekend called “The Big Serve”. Over seventy teams of people ventured out into the community completing landscaping work, cleaning, stocking food pantry shelves, and whatever else local agencies needed.

I had the wonderful opportunity of serving with my 10th grade girls group at the Habitat ReStore! The Habitat ReStore is a store much like goodwill but so much better. People donate old furniture and homegoods to the Habitat ReStore and all the proceeds from the sales are used to help build more houses for Habitat for Humanity! How cool is that?

I was uber excited about serving and my little girls begged to go with me! The organizer from our church told me that the Restore rules are that you have to be 12 to volunteer. My little girls, who are 9 and 7 wore me down and I gave in and let them come. I guess I figured that since they would be with me and are actually pretty mature for their age, everything would be ok.

W-R-O-N-G! Upon arrival at the store, we were half greeted by a grumpy old man. Let’s just call him Grumpy Smurf! Before even speaking to us, he asked me how old my girls were. When I responded, he very bluntly said “You have to be at least 12 years old to volunteer. I can’t supervise little children.”

Oh, no he didn’t! So I took a breath. My mind is racing the following thoughts: First of all, I am their mother and I will be supervising them. Second of all, we are here to volunteer which means giving of our time so could you be a little nicer?

Since I was in front of my own children AND the girls that are in my group. I took ANOTHER breath before speaking.

I guess he could tell that I was getting in Mama Bear-I-will-bite-your-head-off mode so he cleared his throat and said: “Well, it’s not that we don’t like them”–them being my children! Are you serious?

My oldest was practically in tears by now. “I’m always too young” she said.

Now you have really done it–buddy!

I took my daughter off to the side and explained that there are rules in just about everything and even if they seem crazy, we have to follow them.

I also explained to her that there is a way to say EVERYTHING and Grumpy Smuf flunked the “treat people the way you want to be treated” exam.

Since rules are rules, I called my husband and had him come and pick up the girls so that I could stay with my group. Before he came this was my daughter’s expression:

I know, heart breaking. Keep in mind though, she is a champion drama queen and she can cry on demand. However, she WAS really disappointed though.

Volunteering at the ReStore ended up being a great experience for the girls from my group. The other gentleman that worked there was actually pretty nice. The items we had to move and organize were dusty and dirty and the girls had to actually touch them with their bare hands!!! (LOL).

My husband brought my daughters to have lunch later that afternoon with the girls from my group and me. They got to go shopping a little with Daddy, so they seemed to have gotten over not being able to serve.

I know that rules are rules but couldn’t they have helped staple or stack papers as long as I was right there? Or could old Papa have at least thanked them for WANTING to serve?

So ya’ll know I am sending the ReStore manager a letter right?

1 Timothy 4:12 New International Version (NIV)
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.