Three years ago we had our first Grace Klein Community night, hosted by A2 Church. Shannon Haskins mentioned Grace Klein Community to Gayle and she decided to help come serve with the food prep since the location was five minutes from her house. Who knew that she would become our lead volunteer for the Give and Take Room?!

Gayle started coming to our office and organizing the Give and Take Room. At first, she may have wanted to quit because it is such a moving target and takes much order, decision making and constant management. We told her to take over, lead this area of Grace Klein Community and we would follow her. If you know Gayle, it is pretty funny for her to “be in charge.”

A gentle, meek and kind heart, Gayle is most comfortable serving behind the scenes, working a plan and never being recognized. Maybe that is why we chose her for our first volunteer story, because she is the last person that would choose to be chosen. Of course, like anyone, she values knowing she is loved and matters, but she never gives for what she might get in return. She’s a Jesus worshipper and every shirt she folds and every dish she wraps with newspaper is an act of praise to our Father.

Gayle is an example of how God can lead you to serve in ways you never imagine and give you a passion for something different than what you expect. Isn’t that amazing about God?! He surprises us and exceeds what we dream up or expect.

Another way, we love Gayle is how she prays for everyone that will come in and out of that Give and Take Room. When she pulls items for specific needs, she prays. And when the room starts to overflow, she prays about who God will bring for us to help next. The next is what is driving the mission of sharing. The next house fire, the next community outreach hosted by a partner church, the next mission trip, the next single mom, the next foster care family, the next homeless man, the next is the anticipation of what God will do next!

God showed Gayle some years back that she’s like the eyelid for the eyes of the Body of Christ. The eyes are the visionaries, the teachers, the people in front leading and the eyelids are the protection through her role of prayer. We are all one Body, made up of many parts. Today, Grace Klein Community is better because of the eyelid.

We try to include light switch verses to every family that receives from the give and take room, encouraging people to tape them above their light switches so when they turn on and off the light, they hide the Word in their hearts. She also uses scripture as a way to share hope with many. If you see a scripture card in a window sill or in a friend’s Bible, it may be a little piece of Mrs. Gayle. She’s sneaky that way.

Of course, she recruited her sweet husband Joel and he’s been involved for several years too. He brings joy, laughter and muscle. He is like Gayle, willing to do anything, such as hammering signs into hard ground, cutting up pallets, moving furniture and delivering donations, to make our community a better place. The two of them are unstoppable, bringing order to chaos and cleanliness to a big mess. They have organized every book that will be shipped to South Africa for the Library Dreams Project.

If you decide you want to volunteer in the Give and Take Room to help sort, organize or pull for current needs, you will have the privilege to work alongside these two amazing people. Come ready to work, ready to pray and ready to see God do amazing things! If you would like to volunteer in the Give and Take Room, please email [email protected].