Being in college calls for a busy schedule. We have classes, then a lot of us have jobs, are apart of Greek Life, joined another on-campus organization, etc. With all this stuff going on, the best way to remember our place in the world is to volunteer.

I often find myself making excuses for not being able to volunteer. “I’m too busy”, “I have to work”, “I have an exam” and the likes. After participating in dance marathon, I couldn’t be more ashamed of myself. Dance Marathon is a fundraiser that helps raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network. It’s a 14-hour-long dance party and fundraising spree. It’s one of the best 14 hours of my life and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I realized how much it means to give back to people in our community.

I realized how much people need other people.

Listening to all of the families share their stories, seeing how excited some people were to be fundraising, and then seeing the people on stage who pulled everything together crying at the end of the night was worth more than anything I could ever do for myself.

It wasn't just be raising money for children, it was me bettering myself and realizing that my world and my life doesn't have to revolve around me: I enjoyed centering my day around others.

It wasn't just me raising money for children, it was me bettering myself and learning that my world and my life doesn't have to revolve around me. I felt more grateful after staying on my feet fundraising for 14 hours then I have ever felt leaving work after working a double and being on my feet for 10 hours.

As college students, we need our fun times and experiences; but, volunteering needs to be apart of those experiences. The emotions and experiences you gain from volunteering or being apart of something larger than yourself are the ones that are truly going to effect you and push you to find your way in life.

And if you are too busy to care about volunteering for other people and want a quick summary:

Acts 20:35
"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive'."