Be Where Your Feet Are: A Lesson Learned in Service

In our sometimes hectic lives, it’s easy to be distracted where we physically are. I’ve personally struggled with being present, often joking that the idea of meditation brings me more anxiety than the relief it promises.

It is so easy to spend a significant amount of our time and energy planning for the future or anticipating what’s to come. In the nonprofit sector, being able to focus on the road ahead while analyzing what is happening in the rearview to capture the data, and don’t forget, to respond to the immediate and critical needs of those who are being served is not just an expectation; it’s the norm. 

However, a recent mission trip to Little Abaco, Bahamas, with The Church by the Sea Love Little Abaco Mission team, transformed my perspective. It offered me a golden opportunity to immerse fully in the present – to be exactly where my feet were in service.

The first night we arrived and gathered as a group to reflect on the travel day and prepare for the start of the week, our leader spoke to us about leaning into every single moment of the experience completely. To truly be where our feet are. She promised that doing so would amplify the beauty and impact of even the smallest moments.

Well, she was right. The week spent being present in service to a community still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Dorian in 2019, yet filled with hope and gratitude, reminded me that God wants to teach us something. Today matters. This matters. 

Since the trip, I’ve wholeheartedly embraced this motto. I share this sentiment with our Cloud 9 community, a group of dedicated individuals striving every day to create a positive impact. Your daily efforts, no matter big or small, matter. We see you. We appreciate you.