When You're In the Service...

This morning I had the opportunity to go to the Ogden cannery to volunteer with canning green beans. Oddly enough, the only other time that I've done it, we did green beans, too. While my task was a little monotonous, it gave me a lot of time to think about what a blessing the cannery is to people all over the world.
Today we canned over 20,000 cans od beans. I thought about how many people that will help. Before we actually started, the brother that was giving us instructions told us that normally they would only plant about 80 acres of beans. This year they planted over 180 acres! And what a need it has been. Somebody commented that it is quite evident who is the head of our church. Divine inspiration! As I watched the whole process and looked at the dozens of volunteers and service missionaries, I realized how very few people in the whole welfare system get paid. That's how the Lord wants it. We need to serve one another.
Usually, those who volunteer have access to buying other canned goods from the cannery. However, because there is such a need for food right now, volunteers could only purchase a limited number of beans, nothing else. That would have been a great reward in itself, but seeing how we have access to beans from my grandparents, I was not worried about buying any beans and I was able to see the blessings elsewhere. Just the knowledge the the Lord watches out for His children is a blessing.
I feel so grateful to have been apart of this opportunity, knowing that thousands of my brothers and sisters throughout the world will benefit from the help I gave today. It kind of reminds me of the Friends episode when Phoebe talks about there is no unselfish act because no matter what it is you do, you always get that warm feeling inside from doing something good. So be it...I like that warm feeling inside from helping others.