Have you ever read or heard about someone who is doing something so extraordinary that it makes you ask: “What makes them tick?” If so, you are going to love this article that one of our readers sent to me.
The big news the past couple of weeks has been Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. If you are anything like me, perhaps you have been watching the news and asking: “What can I do?”
Well one person who asked that question decided that one of the things he can do is to feed Ukrainian refugees fleeing the invasion.
José Andrés is a Spanish American chef, restaurateur and philanthropist. And as the award winner of a $100 Million grant from Jeff Bezos’ Foundation, he has a fair amount of resources.
Having resources is one thing. Doing something with those resources is another thing. So what did Jose do? He rushed to the Polish border with Ukraine so he could set up mobile kitchens to provide hot meals for Ukrainians coming into Poland.
What motivated Jose? He stated that “like you, I am distraught watching Ukraine under attack,” in a video on Twitter Friday. He then concluded: “We must come together as a force for good!”
Jose has a not-for-profit organization, World Central Kitchen (WCK), and has used that organization to feed those less fortunate people in the world.
And in reading about Jose, I couldn’t help but notice that others are also stepping up to the plate. Whether it’s the international Red Cross putting together shelters, or the Polish people who are welcoming the Ukrainian refugees, it has underscored the fact that even in the face of brutal aggression, there are still people out there who help you believe in the power of people who are committed to doing good.
So when I saw this video of Jose serving dinner at the Ukrainian border when the weather was below freezing, it encouraged me. Thus far his WCK organization has served more than 8,000 meals consisting of soup, hot chicken stew, and apple pie. As he told his more than 1 million Twitter followers: “It is below freezing tonight and I am meeting so many refugees - families who are escaping and don’t know what’s next. We will do our best to not let them down.”
And Jose is inspiring others as well. At the Rava-Ruska and Shehyni border crossings between Ukraine and Poland, he is partnering with Caritas nuns to serve food to refugees. And as he noted on another Twitter feed, others chefs are joining him. For example he shared that “This is Chef Aleksander Yourz...his team at Yourz Space Bistro cooked 1,000 meals today for residents stuck in Odessa and Ukranians defending the city.”
As I have shared in previous messages, one of my mentors used to remind me: “There are two types of people: Those who want to be served and those who want to serve others.” Jose is definitely one of those individuals who wants to serve others.
In reading about Jose and people like him, the spotlight shines on them because of the magnitude of their efforts and the fact that it is a “Big Deal.” I don’t know about you but personally, I sometimes think: “Why bother to do this or that? After all it’s no 'Big Deal'.”
When I shared this thought with a friend of mine, he commented that an act of kindness or service can be a “big deal” so don't overlook it.
With that thought in mind, years ago, a friend shared this beautiful poem:
A LETTER TO AFRICAN PASTORS
People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Love them anyway!
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Do good anyway!
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway!
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway!
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway!
The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest ideas.
Think big anyway!
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway!
People really need help, but may attack you if you help them.
Help people anyway!
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give your best anyway!
We make a living by what we get.
We make a life by what we give.
--Bishop Abel Muzorewo
As I read about what Jose was doing I was reminded about a verse from Isaiah: "If you give some of your own food to those who are hungry and to satisfy those who are humble, then your light will rise in the dark, and your darkness will become as bright as the noonday sun."
