B and I had to go to the grocery story last Saturday.  I know that is nothing new in ANYONE'S world.  In fact, we go waaay too often.  Spending way too much money each time we do.

On this specific Saturday there was a group of scouts doing a food drive for the local food pantry.  It was refreshing to see instead of the usual notice on the front door saying they were coming on a given day to collect.  And it was no trouble for us to go in the store and get something that was on sale and non-perishable to add to what they had already collected. Easy.

These boys were giving up a Saturday to serve someone they don't know and will never see.

Refreshing.

Service isn't in our vocabulary much any more.  Especially for the youth.  It should be but it isn't. 

I know there are many parents/grandparents who are service oriented.  But not enough.  Many kids are entitled and don't want to do anything unless they know what's in it for them.

On two different Thanksgivings, after we had eaten, we put together pantry packs.  These pantry packs are given to the local food pantry.  They, in turn, given them out to children who don't have consistent meals over the weekends when they can't get breakfasts and lunches from school.  The younger grandkids LOVED putting these packs together.  It took us less than half an hour to do the 50 kits we had planned for.  They wanted to do more. At that time we just didn't have the resources to do more.  We had to pay for everything that goes in those pantry packs including the Ziploc bags they were packed in.

Watching those scouts made me realize how important it is for kids to have experiences serving those who can't give anything back. My job, as a grandma, is to watch for opportunities for service for my kids and grandkids. That we can all do together.  Because I know that "....when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." Mosiah 2:17