Most of us, when we visit a new place, yearn to feel connected to it. It’s natural. We want to understand its history and relate it to our own. We want to identify with its residents and understand what it’s like to live there.
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When we temporarily forget about ourselves and serve others or a cause, we can open ourselves to become more connected to that community. We become available. We’re not just trying to check sights off our bucket list, we’re engaging with the neighborhood.
Volunteering is a stellar way to get to know the heart of a community — to understand its challenges, it’s joys and accomplishments, and what it’s needs are.
You may just be visiting for a short time, but rather than scratching the surface, you’re diving in deep.
Ironically, many of us convince ourselves that in our own community with work and school and schedules, we have less time to volunteer. Well, vacation takes away that excuse if we let it. We finally have the time outside our usual element, along with our family, friends, or simply on our own, to volunteer and give of ourselves.
A lot of times, vacation can be all about “you.” After all, we’re being served throughout our trip, by hotel clerks, waiters and waitresses, tour guides, and cruise directors. It’s so nice to experience true hospitality at its best, but what if this is the only thing that our kids relate vacation to? Me, me, me?
Instead, what if the service goes both ways? You are experiencing the hospitality of the city you are in, but you are also giving back and making an effort to serve others there as well. It becomes an interchange of humanity, unity, and the love of God.
Rather than it being all about us, it provides a practical lesson for our kids that even while we’re on vacation, experiencing new adventures, seeing new things, learning about other cultures, we are also open and available to give back and hear from God about where He is working in a city, a nation, or in certain peoples’ lives. How amazing is it that He is inviting us to be in on his plans and that we can do so through travel and volunteering?
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Want to discover for yourself how impactful serving can be while on vacation? SerVacations offers exciting single-day and multi-day vacations for families, couples, and groups of all ages! We offer customized volunteer vacations that are designed to help you unwind from the daily grind and leave you feeling more connected to one another and the community. To learn more, check out our Current Tours page or contact us about setting up a custom experience for you or your family, business, or church group!
