This year, I decided not to watch the holidays’ miracles from the sidelines but get involved in creating miracles in real time. I started receiving emails from various charities searching for those who wanted to volunteer their time to the cause. Most of these charities involved a day of helping feed the homeless and low-income individuals and families. A typical volunteer opportunity is to work one day on Thanksgiving.
I wanted to do more, so I signed up for a Saturday Neighbourhood outreach and three shifts the week of Thanksgiving. When you register, the form requests what organization you represent. I proudly entered the Tripura Foundation. That’s when I realized I had not heard about any campaigns for the upcoming holidays. I reached out to Padma, and she began organizing a campaign that day. My timing could not have been better.
I explained that I had found a new grassroots ministry in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. They met all the proper criteria, and we started to wonder if we could do more than just volunteer some hours. I saw the first miracle as I reported to my first volunteer shift. SF City Impact had been operating in the Tenderloin for years. Everyone I met that day was not a volunteer, but people committed to dedicating their lives to service. They were here every day serving a community most people go around. Residences for the elderly, schools for the children, and a haven for anyone who needed it. Every day, they provided compassion and care to anyone who showed up, and they were treated with love and dignity. Meals were provided to the residents, school children, and their families daily, all through the grace of God.
Here is where I started to see the miracles. That this organization existed here in the Tenderloin was a miracle. This organization being supported by people who came to work daily was another miracle. Another miracle was that people, organizations, companies, stores, restaurants, and other charities constantly donated money and supplies to keep SF City Impact going.
The miracle of feeling a part of something greater than myself was another miracle that resulted in the Tripura Foundation donating $1,000.00 to SF City Impact. I was thanked not for just showing up but for being a source of positive energy and inspiration. When I was volunteering, I wasn’t suffering from any of my day-to-day stress issues. Instead, I felt nothing but the grace of God. Realizing that I could contribute to the greater good and make a difference is a miracle that erased my past karma with each breath.
Find your opportunity to be of service and experience miracles firsthand. You will never be the same.
God bless,
James
