By Deserea Reville
Judgement House – The Other Side: You may have seen the article published about Judgement House, hosted by Hope Community Church in Hudson, last month sharing some information about the event, the impact and the intent – or better yet, you may have been one of the 1500+ people who actually EXPERIENCED Judgement House (JH) up close, in person, the last weekend of October. It was my first experience with it all and let me tell you, it really had an impact on my life, BUT- that’s not what this piece about. Among walking through this live, walk-thru drama, I also had the privilege of volunteering the entire weekend and THAT is what is bubbling out of my heart… the beauty of community.
Community can encompass many different walks of life; the community of a neighborhood, school, group, sports, extra-curricular hobby, church, etc. And witnessing the beauty of this particular church community rally together for this event was beautiful beyond belief and inspired me to pass along. There were over 150 volunteers who poured into this event, contributing hundreds, or dare I guess thousands, of hours starting MONTHS before the actual free community outreach event. There were skits to write, scenes to create / build and set up, actors to learn their lines and practice practice practice, and on and on and on. Beyond that, there were volunteers who set up and ran all the tech that weekend, door knockers, parking lot attendants (who stood out there in the rain all day), concession stand workers, security, tour guides, registration aficionados, advocates, prayer warriors and the incredible kitchen staff who kept the volunteers well-nourished All. Weekend. Long! There was no role too big or too small for this production, everyone worked together seamlessly to make it all happen. And you know what? While I was there for the 20+ hours that weekend, chatting with people and experiencing all that was to experience at JH, I did not hear one complaint, one gripe, one grumble about the long hours, or someone who did (or didn’t) do “blah blah blah” – everyone was in it together, for the greater good – and THAT was a beautiful thing to see.
So, if you are not involved in a “community”, I hope this inspires you to reach out and get involved! There is something so powerful about being part of something bigger, whatever that may be; perhaps getting involved with a fundraiser, or advocating for a cause you’re passionate about, or helping with an event coming up, or checking out a group you’ve been interested in. It may be out of your comfort zone at first (confession: my role volunteering at Judgement House was COMPLETELY out of my comfort zone) but you know what
happens when you push yourself and step out into the “unknown” – you learn, you grow, you experience new things, new dimensions of your soul can emerge and that my friends, is something totally worth stepping out of / into.
