I refuse to

One of the blogs I regularly turn to for inspiring ideas is published by Bob Burg. In his most recent posting he included a link to a video by Dr. Ivan Misner, founder of BNI, a professional business network.

In the video, Dr. Misner tells the story of a gentleman who took a very intentional stand on how he responded to the depressed economic climate in the early 1990s. He wore a button that exclaimed, "I refuse to participate in the recession." The gentleman said it helped him focus on doing what was right and necessary to be successful in his business (real estate) rather than being consumed by the doom and gloom poured out by the media.

It made me think, are there things we could refuse to do to help us keep our eye on the real prize. Just a few possibilities...

• I refuse to hold a grudge
• I refuse to commiserate, gossip, or engage in any non-constructive conversation
• I refuse to over-consume (food, electricity, gas, gadgets, the list goes on)
• I refuse to stand idly by when I witness a wrong
• I refuse to ____________ (you fill in the blank)
  

Special Soup

Nearly every week, our friends from Developmental Enterprises Corporation (DEC) in Worcester deliver homemade soups to Manna on Main Street. DEC is a place where special needs adults come together to learn basic living skills and to have a sense of belonging.

Sometimes we put people in a box, thinking that there are only certain things they are capable of accomplishing. Time and again, the caring people at DEC have made an impact on the community by sharing their gifts and helping us provide service to other people in need.

Packed In

Last Saturday it was packed with both food and Cub Scouts. Specifically, Cub Pack 152, visited Manna on Main Street to sort food. As Liz would say (she's our director of volunteers) it's crazy-fun when we have a large group show up to do a service project. Our space is very small, so when 17 preadolescent boys and 20 family members arrived to help, we crammed some in the basement, and sent contingents outside to shovel the sidewalk and sort food in our outside storage area. While it can be challenging finding constructive work for everyone, we find that having the kids here has a lasting impression on them. Maybe it's because they get to sign the wall when they're finished or because they had so much fun being here. Perhaps too, they felt like they made a difference.

Lost

We received the call at 2:00 AM from the local police. A woman in her late 20s had been released from the hospital and needed a place to stay for the evening. We'll call her Angie.

The officer took Angie to a nearby motel where we have an arrangement for people who are homeless. I called her in the mid-morning, knowing that check-out time was 11:00, wanting to learn more about her situation and what we might need to do to help move her along. When she answered the phone, it took only a few seconds to recognize the emptiness. Angie wasn't sure what she was going to do; maybe get in touch with a friend from ten years ago who could put her up. While we were talking, the police showed up and she said they would take care of things, and Angie hung up. I thought we had heard the last of her.

Not an hour later, the phone rang. It was Angie. She wasn't able to get her things together in time for the police to take her to the train station. It was raining miserably hard, so I told her we would come pick her and bring her back to Manna so she could eat, then help move her along.

When picking up a stranger, especially a woman, I take someone with me, so Liz Coyne, our director of volunteers drove our van to the motel. When Angie came down to the office, that same vagueness of purpose was with her. She had found an umbrella and wasn't sure if she should leave it at the motel or take it along. While it was obviously pouring, Angie commented that it wasn't raining where we stood under the the roofed entryway.

As we drove back to Manna, the comments from Angie were scattered: where could she get a cigarette; she used to play softball, naming the different positions; had last lived in New Jersey; she could really drink a Yuengling right now (Liz smilingly commented that we weren't serving that at Manna today - it would be vegetable soup and chicken pot-pie).

Back at Manna, Angie made friendly conversation with the volunteers and looked in the refrigerators. I called her into the office to ask her again what her plans were. Angie thanked us for the night in the motel, said she loved us. I thought she looked like a child, sipping on her hot chocolate; if she continues on the path she is traveling, in five years she will age fifteen. She never really answered the question.

We told her to come back for the 4:00 meal. She asked if we could call her cell phone and remind her, in case she forgot or got lost. Somehow we never got the number. After eating, Angie got up to leave for the train station, needing help figuring out how to open the umbrella. She didn't come back that afternoon.