But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing. He was born as a man and became like a servant. [Philippians 2:7 (NCV)]
There are different kinds of gifts, but they are all from the same Spirit. There are different ways to serve but the same Lord to serve. And there are different ways that God works through people but the same God. God works in all of us in everything we do. Something from the Spirit can be seen in each person, for the common good. [1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (NCV)]
I emailed a friend to ask about her winter and got one of those bad news/good news answers! Her husband suffered a compression fracture in his back, had a heart attack, and underwent surgery. A blizzard then deposited ten-inches of snow in their driveway! The good news was that my friend was blessed by a young man who volunteered to shovel their snow all winter as his “outreach to the elderly.” While I was struck by the man’s kindness, what really disconcerted me was that my friends and I have apparently moved into what is considered the realm of the elderly!
As much as I hate to admit it, I have chores I can no longer do easily and that list grows a little longer every day. Nevertheless, regardless of our ages, we all are called to serve. Fortunately, servanthood doesn’t require exceptional skill, special talents, or even youth.
Today, I saw a large ad for a service that provides professional readers. For a fee, a person will come and read to your loved one. I’m not begrudging people an opportunity to earn a living but I thought it sad that anyone would have to hire someone to read to children, the visually impaired, retirement home residents, or hospital patients. Is there no one who would do it out of kindness? That’s something even the “elderly” can do! We seniors may no longer be able to shovel snow but we can read to people, provide casseroles to shut-ins, and volunteer in charity resale shops. We may not be able to do the heavy lifting or install sheetrock for Habitat but we can assist in their offices or help raise funds. We may not be able to set up chairs and tables at church but we can offer respite for caregivers, become a reading partner with a child, stock shelves in a food pantry, or drive people to chemo-therapy.
While servanthood has no age constraints, it does have a few other requirements. It’s a ministry rather than an obligation and requires the heart of a servant—a heart that helps out of love rather than duty. Servanthood requires observant eyes—eyes that focus on the needs of others and look for tasks that need to be done. As servants, we must think like stewards rather than owners and understand that our time, talent and wealth are not ours to keep but God’s to use. Finally, if we’re real servants, we’re not afraid to do the work of a servant or to be treated as one. Jesus washed the filthy feet of His disciples and, as his servants, we must be willing to get our hands dirty as well!
We may get too old to shovel the walk but we’re never too old to be servants and do God’s work!
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. [Dalai Lama]
I’ve been reading a book about discovering one’s “authentic” self; among other things, the author concluded that her authentic self wears make-up. I admit to wearing make-up, coloring my hair, wearing a padded bra and using Spanx, but I’d never call that my authentic self! Without a doubt, that’s my more attractive self, but hardly the authentic one! While I don’t consider it “authentic,” trying to appear as attractive as possible isn’t hypocritical. Pretending to be one person in public and actually being another one in private is!
Returning from our walk at the park, we saw people at the RecPlex Center setting up for an event with a dais, tables and chairs. A woman was placing a sign that pictured a dog and the words “BARK-A-CUE” in bold red letters. My husband lightheartedly asked, “Are you going to grill some dogs?” In a snarl worthy of a Doberman, she replied, “No dogs!” and sped away faster than a Greyhound! As we walked to our car, we looked more closely at another sign; in small print were the words “Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs,” a worthy cause indeed.
For the last several years, we’ve frequently driven by a house we called the “House of Lost Dreams.” Apparently forsaken by both bank and borrower, we watched as tarps blew off windows, roof tiles grew black with mold, and ivy and kudzu grew on the walls. Eventually, plants nearly obscured the deteriorating house from view as Mother Nature took back ownership of the land.
While in my early thirties, in an attempt to straighten my teeth and correct an overbite, I wore braces for four years—and even had to wear the dreaded head-gear at night! For some reason, as the years dragged on, I seemed to think that everything I didn’t like about myself and my body would be miraculously corrected once the braces were removed. I imagined that, with straight teeth, I could possibly bear some resemblance to Cheryl Tiegs, a super-model of the era. Needless to say, I was disappointed when the braces were finally removed and I still looked just like me—only with nicer teeth. Not that looking like me was so bad, but I certainly wasn’t going to be asked to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue! The fact that I didn’t want to do so made no difference; I just wanted everything I didn’t like about myself to miraculously change. It took some much needed maturing, both spiritually and emotionally, to understand that my discontent had nothing to do with my appearance and that real change doesn’t come from the outside; it comes from within.
Devotions of the Heart 