Want to Join?

May tends to be an invitational season. Whether it’s graduations, school dances, or workplace celebrations, it’s fun to be invited. Invitations don’t always revolve around events. Sometimes the best invitations involve opportunities. People don’t naturally gravitate towards putting themselves out there. It’s nice to be invited!

I have accrued significant time at our local baseball field. Both of our boys have played in various seasons. I’ve settled into a nice routine of watching but not participating. As I was recently claiming space to spectate, another dad invited me into the press box. Someone had taught him how to operate the equipment and he was passing that knowledge on to me. He invited me to stop spectating and to start participating!

It's fun to watch a baseball game but baseball is a slow game. You can go to the snack shack and return without missing much. But from the press box the experience was so different! The time flew by, and it was so much fun! Same place, same game, but two different experiences. It all began with a personal invitation. What a great reminder!

We can view a problem through the challenge lens or the opportunity lens. The opportunity lens doesn’t negate the challenge lens, but it does frame the problem in a positive light. There is a very real volunteer problem in our culture today. From churches to ball parks to local schools, serving numbers have dropped nationally. That’s a real challenge. But it’s also a great opportunity! The baseball experience reminded me of an important principle. Most people don’t mind volunteering, they just need help getting started.  

I wasn’t opposed to volunteering at the local baseball park, but I didn’t know there was a place for me. When other dads bring out their fancy equipment to do field maintenance, all I have is a Wal-Mart shovel and plastic rake. I’ll think to myself, “is that guy training for Camden Yards?” It’s easy when we are trained and equipped to take for granted that other people are too. A personal invitation to join and learn is a worthy investment.

I didn’t know that announcing the game was an option until I received an invitation. There was something I could do that used my gifts and made a difference! That’s the sweet spot of volunteering! As a leader in an organization that depends on volunteers, I received a valuable reminder of the power of invitation. Imagine what could happen if those who are experiencing the joy of serving leveraged that experience to invite others. The results would be exponential and could go beyond volunteerism.

We tend to think of ourselves as powerless or we look at opportunities we don’t have from the outside in. While that might be true in some instances it’s only half the story. We all have more power than we think. God has given us relationships, experiences, and gifts that we can leverage to open opportunities for others.

How will we use the power of a personal invite? I hope we use them to create opportunities for others! It’s fun to serve and make a difference. It’s what we’re made for!