Volunteer asks: What are your ‘Sin Piles’?
Written by Rod Aslesen (pictured), a breakfast volunteer at the West 7th Salvation Army in St. Paul.
For the past number of months, I have had the pleasure of being a volunteer servant of Jesus at the West 7th Salvation Army in St. Paul. Every weekday at 7 a.m., I join other volunteers in helping set up the kitchen and dining room to serve breakfast to locals in need of a good meal.
The doors open at 7:20 a.m., when anywhere from 150 to 300 hungry men, women and sometimes children come streaming in. Before their hot meal is ready, we greet them with warm and cold beverages, sandwiches, yogurt, and other items, all donated by generous churches, food shelves and grocery stores.
The guests are of all ages and all backgrounds. Some arrive with their entire lives packed into a backpack or rolling suitcase (pictured). Others arrive emptyhanded. Some are clean in appearance, while others look haggard.
Some of the guests are mentally sharp, while others display challenges. Some are quiet and humble, and show wisdom. Others are bold and arrogant. Some have a grumbling look on their face, but most have a big smile.
All are welcome. They are loved without judgment, with no expectation of something to give in return.
At 7:40 a.m., staff and volunteers huddle together for prayer in the kitchen, asking Jesus to bless the food and the hungry people waiting in the dining room. Soon after, the kitchen gates go up and food service begins (Rod, pictured serving soup). For the next 20 to 25 minutes, hot meals and soup are served. Fresh fruit is offered, along with donated pastries.
Shortly after 8 a.m., the gates to the serving line come down and a Bible meditation is offered. Some guests leave with no desire to listen. Others remain seated, but look uninterested. A larger number of people pay close attention and drink the message in.
By 9 a.m., the leftover food has been put away, the pans and utensils have been washed, the dining room has been cleaned, and the trash has been taken out.
The next morning, we are proud to do it all over again.
What are your ‘Sin Piles’?
Every day when I clean up after the guests’ meals, I see what I call “the piles.” These are piles of dirty plates, cups, napkins, and plastic ware. Although most guests do a great job of cleaning up after themselves, a small number of them leave their waste – their piles – for someone else to deal with.
One day, as I was cleaning other people’s piles, several ideas hit me like a rock:
- Most of us don’t need the services of The Salvation Army, but are we really any different? We have our own piles too, don’t we? Not trash left on tables, but rather “Sin Piles.” All of us are sinners against Jesus. We all fall short of His glorious life principles and ideals. We are all “pile makers” with great experience.
- Some of our Sin Piles can be easily corrected. Others are very large and require brooms and mops of Godly size.
- Our Sin Piles might be a curse word that slips out, or something Jesus asked us to do that we did not. Or maybe we just outright ignore His commands, doing our own thing and going in a radically wrong direction.
With these thoughts in mind, can you name your own Sin Piles?
Through volunteering for The Salvation Army, I have observed the charity’s staff and volunteers reflecting the love of Jesus every day by serving people without judgement.
Similarly, Jesus renews his mercies to everybody, every morning, by forgiving us of yesterday’s Sin Pile creations. He died on an ugly cross to pay our Sin Pile Penalty so we wouldn’t have to.
I can attest to the fact that it is awesome to have an intimate personal relationship with Jesus. Cry out to Him. Confess your Sin Piles. Tell Jesus you know you are lost without Him. He, and He alone, is your only Savior. Invite Him into your heart and life. Ask Him to help you clean your piles.
Keep cleaning your piles, and help others clean theirs, too.
Please join The Salvation Army by volunteering or making a donation to support your local community.