Volunteer's Prayer

We reach out with our hands
    into the world
To find the cold and the darkness around us.

With our fingers we feel the sorrow and the pain—
    the slow pulse of raw human emotion
While silent tears of dispair splash
    into our open palms.

Yet our hearts are warm
A flame within us
A desire to make the darkness a little brighter
  the cold a little more bearable
  and to ease the dispair
      (if only just a little).

We give of our hearts—
  a simple smile
  a few kind words
  a hug

We give of our time—
  to mentor a child
  to make food for the hungry
  to visit the sick

We give with our hands—
  the blankets we make
  the food that we share
  the fingers we caress with our own

We reach out with our hands—
  to bring hope
  to ease hunger
  to give warmth

God bless our hands.