12. To the Rescue

 "Business is about service and about rescue."

There are three important concepts I learned from this weeks study:

1. Business should never be focused on profit only, but have a mission of bettering the lives of others. "Business is about service and rescue." This first concept is important to me because it has been my objective to live my life in fulfillment of the covenant of consecration, to give all I can for the building up of the Kingdom of God. In my view, if a business or company does not serve the actual needs of people, it is a failing business. So many businesses are built up to provide luxury and ease, but I want to do something that actually helps people and is therefore worthwhile. 

2. Everyone is creative, and anyone can succeed. Nobody is required to limit themselves to working for others. This second concept is important to me because I want to see more people succeed and thrive. For those working in a corporate environment, they have the blinders on to do only what they're asked, and lose ambition to build more where they are, regardless of their position. For those who worked their way up the corporate ladder in this mindset don't want others to be creative and contribute more meaningfully. For those who don't want this kind of work, the opportunities are abundant, and we ought to support each other more in making a difference where we work, where we live, and among those we interact.

3. We ought to do all we can in changing other people's lives for the better, acknowledging our dependence on God for all we have and are. This third concept is important to me because I acknowledge that all that exists comes from God, and if God willed that I have or not have it, my efforts would have no affect on that. All I have is a gift from God. It does not belong to me. I did not create it, and I do not necessarily own it. If I view all I have as my stewardship instead of my ownership, I would be more grateful with what I have, more responsible for it, and more generous in sharing it with those in need. It is not mine to withhold from others. While avoiding stifling the growth and responsibility in others, and sustainability in society by hand-outs and "something for nothing" entitlement, I want to apply more personal liberality in giving, teaching, and encouraging can help lift the poor. We should help and lift them, then help them lift themselves, and help them turn and do likewise, and truly bring about Zion.

I can apply this first concept by being more aware of where there are opportunities to serve, even in simple or small ways. This will require that I go out of my way, and I should not be anxious about going out of my way. Often, going out of my way is going into the Lord's way. In my professional life, I will look for or make opportunities to meaningfully grow and shape the business. I will also look for holes that need to be filled in society, and pursue something that meets that need. In my personal and professional life, I will be more diligent in remembering the proper role that money plays in my life, namely, that it is a tool. It is a powerful tool, and not to be abandoned or neglected, neither to be abused. I will share what I am learning here with family members and others I know who are starting up businesses, and support them in their endeavors and contribute to their success as well as mine.

A new thought came into my mind lately. It's not a new thought, but one that has resurfaced as something to seriously consider and contemplate.

Something that has long bothered me is the amount of waste in the food industry. More food is thrown away than is eaten. If a meal is prepared, and something is slightly wrong, the restaurant is required to dispose of it, and it goes to waste. If a restaurant prepares more food than is sold, the extra is required to be thrown away. Many customers will also buy food and only eat a small portion of what they ordered. The rest is thrown away. It benefits nobody, and is not recycled.

At the same time, there are many people who go hungry, who can't afford much to eat.

Might there be a solution here? While it would require making sure all things are done legally, or provisions made in regulations to ensure that this can be done, I think some sort of operation could be set up to work with all the restaurants and stores to gather all the discarded food and make it available to those in need. Food would be collected during the day as needed or after business hours. Those who take advantage of this would need to acknowledge that the food may not be top-notch, may not be entirely sanitary, and may not be according to official regulations. I am not sure how to work with the regulations yet, or what changes or exceptions would need to be secured. But it is because of such strict regulations that there is so much waste.

It would also be ideal to set this up in a way that benefits the restaurants and stores, and also benefits the hungry, not just in giving them food, but in possible employment and opportunity facilitation.

Any food gathered and collected that is not fit for consumption can be composted and made into mulch for gardening purposes, to support soil health in a community garden or greenhouse. There would likely be enough food waste compost from local restaurants and stores to support this from community to community.

I do not know yet how this kind of operation would be set up to generate revenue to be sustainable, or bring in a profit, or be at all a viable plan.

So far, the only thing established is that the goal is to reduce or altogether eliminate food waste, and to benefit the poor.