Rock Solid Volunteers
Motivation 2: Families Involved Together
“Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows” (
Uzziel here again.
I guess you’re aware that we are almost four weeks into our project, and there has been huge turmoil among the workers. You’ve probably heard what the Arabs and the Ammonites are plotting—they’re threatening to attack us.
The first couple of weeks were amazing; I alternated picking up rocks, shaping logs into rollers to move the large stones, rolling the stones to the wall, and fitting them into place. I especially enjoyed the last, because it was like solving a puzzle for me. During those first days, sleep didn’t matter a whole lot; adrenaline kept us going. The men next to me and I worked as long as we could after dark, and we were back at it before the sun came up each morning.
But then the rumors started. At first, it didn’t bother any of us, but when the talk about planned attacks persisted, we began to think—no, to worry—about it. I think we worried a little at first, but then I began (I can’t speak for the others) to worry a lot. We weren’t sure what was true and what wasn’t. Was the Samarian army advancing on Jerusalem? We heard that rumor. What about the Arabs and the Ammonites? Were they on their way to attack?
I’m working on the west side of the wall, and I’m thinking even if the Arabs and Ammonites do attack, they probably won’t start here since they would come from the east. The Old Gate is just east of here, and this is the least accessible part of the wall. I confess I have worried some about the Ashdodites; they are part of the conspiracy as well, and they might attack here since they would come from the west.
My greatest concern, though, is about the southeast part of the city. I moved my family there several years ago, when business began to increase in Jerusalem. Our house is located just off the trade route. I picked the spot on purpose because it was a good location for business, but now I think, It’s an awful location if the armies come from the east. I can’t help thinking as I pick up stones (actually, I think about it with every single stone I pick up), I wish this stone was protecting my three little sons. I haven’t heard how the wall is coming over there. I sure hope the workers there are doing a good job…
Then I worry about my elderly dad, Harhaiah. He’s in his 70s now and has a bad back. He didn’t want to be left out of the work, so I know he is doing what he can. But I’ve lost track of where he is. I wish I knew, because if I did, I’d try to get him here by me. I also think a lot about my brothers and cousins. A lot. In fact, I think too much about them. The worry is keeping me from doing my best.
Now, look at this hillside over there. I’ve been picking up rocks for more than 25 days now, and there are still so many left. Just looking, you can’t tell I’ve picked up any at all. And my hands…look at them. They’re starting to callous over, but they’ve never looked this messed up. It will be a long time until I can craft a delicate ring again. All of this is really starting to get to me. I haven’t told anyone, but I secretly want to just quit and go back home.
“Uzziel? Uzziel? Are you there?”
Sorry to interrupt my conversation with you, but someone’s calling me…
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord Almighty! You’d think God just heard my prayer and answered it immediately! Do you know who that was? Do you know who that was? Nehemiah! Yes, Nehemiah himself. In the flesh!
And do you know what he wants me to do? Do you know what he wants me to do? Go work on the wall right by my home! Waaaaaahoooooo! Can you believe it? The very thing I was longing for, Nehemiah just told me to do! Except I’m to do one thing first: find my brothers and my father and have them join me. Can you believe it? Can you believe it? I’m on my way! I don’t even care that I’ll be working in a more dangerous area now. At least I’ll be able to look out for my family.
The principle Nehemiah understood and implemented 2,500 years ago still holds true today: The more the family is together, the higher the motivation is to stay involved.
Families Involved Together
Where do we see this philosophy lived out today? Think about the families you know. Which ones have whole family involvement in an activity or hobby? I’m sure you know soccer families, or camping families, or boating families, or…you get the idea. I enjoy running, and one family has caught my attention at several of the local 5K races that I’ve participated in. Mom, Dad and four kids, currently between 7 and 12 years old, all run. I don’t know them personally, but it’s pretty easy to see that their family identity is tied closely to the activity they participate in together.
It’s not usually that way at church. Even when several family members are active in ministry, they’re usually involved in different ministries. Let me propose something better: families involved together in ministry.
There are many benefits to this approach of serving God as families.
Getting Families Involved Together Increases Commitment
My ministry, Awana, enjoys a high level of loyalty on the part of many families—because the whole family gets involved. Dad and Mom are both leaders, often in groups with or near their own children. Generally, they can be counted on to stay put as a family unit. I believe their connection together in ministry is a strong element in keeping them faithful.
Becky Blaine, from Missouri, told me the following:
“My husband was involved in music ministry, and I was involved in children’s ministry. It became difficult to serve because we were both in different ministries. So he stepped back from music and joined me in children’s ministry in order for us to work together as a family. It was good for our relationship, because it is not my ministry anymore but ours. Now our girls see us preparing and serving together. It has become very healthy for our family.”
Many moms, dads, grandpas and grandmas serve in the children’s department while their kids are little; in fact, parents tend to follow their children up through the programs, volunteering where their kids are. I have to confess that I have been frustrated in the past because so many parents moved on in this way. I thought, Do they only care about their own children? Can’t they have enough heart for the others that they stay and work even when their kids aren’t in the group? As I’ve grown older (and wiser), I understand more that such a model is good, except…it generally tails off in middle school. Here’s what I’ve observed about volunteers at different levels:
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