"The best way to find yourself is to loose yourself in the service of others." ~Mahatma Gandhi
This truly encompasses all that it means to engage in service. We not only learn a lot about ourselves, but we learn a lot about, and from, others. Each time you learn something new, you can't help but look at the aspect of engagement in a different way. Service opens up your eyes to the possibility of change, and why the change is in desperate need of occurrence. When we meet with people in service, whether it be the people we work with or the people we are there to assist, we gain a new perspective. We come to know what is important in life to them, and by reflection, ourselves. Not only can see with greater peripherals the broader picture metaphorically, but we literally gain a new and expanded vision of insightful possibilities. What one might experience in service, one cannot prepare for, for one does not know what he/she shall encounter, only that he/she shall encounter something they have not yet encountered before. No service trip or project will ever be the same as someone else's experience. And No service trip or project will ever be the same if you should encounter it twice. This is where service and learning go hand-in-hand. Each day you are in the classroom of life, whether that be literally or metaphorically speaking, the way you can learn best is to challenge yourself and engage in new experiences you have not encountered before. You, in such instances, grow and come to learn about yourself and others. You learn that flexibility and adaptability are two very much needed skills. You learn that your gifts and talents can contribute to the world positively, and that without the use of these skills, the world is at a loss of something, or someone. Service relates to us. Service is experiential, and so is learning. When we blend the two together we create an active learning environment that uses our knowledge for the good of the community and humanity as well. So, take the service challenge and learn from it, I know I will.
