Less than a Servant's Heart

Often times we find ourselves venturing into service opportunities with less than a servant’s heart.  Perhaps we are “required” to perform a certain number of hours of community service as a school requirement or maybe we agreed to participate in a community service activity during lent.  Whatever reason brought us to the service opportunity, we usually have a different perspective upon completion.  Case in point, our Parish Service day on February 28.  At 8:30 a.m. on a cold and windy February day, our 90+ volunteers were preparing to spend time outside raking mounds of leaves or sorting through clothes in a cold warehouse.  Some were a little more enthusiastic about the task at hand than others.  Being a Jesus-style servant is not easy and, like many of you, I’d really like to be better at it.  I’ve volunteered on my share of committees and ministries over the years, but there is always some kind of reward or recognition.  If nothing else, I feel pretty good about myself for being so selfless! Having a servant’s heart means to not only place other’s needs ahead of my own, but to serve with the right motivation—and that is to put God’s will first.  Often times we complete the work we are assigned to do and don’t realize the impact it has on those we have come to serve.  Though gratitude should not motivate us to serve, I think it provides us with a different perspective, the perspective of the recipient.  Therefore, I wanted to share a letter we received from a grateful recipient of the service we provided on our Parish Service Day.

I am 88 years old and had the pleasure of getting yard work done by a super nice group.  I truly appreciate the work.  I used to be able to do my yard work for years and I enjoyed doing it, but can no longer do it.  Today a nice group of people from your church with children of different ages did a super job.  I know they will be rewarded for it by our maker.  You will always be in my heart and give me reason to believe that there are good people in this world.  

 

The gratefulness of this elderly woman shows us that small acts can have huge impacts!  My prayer for this lent is that God uses me as His hands and feet to make a difference for His kingdom and may my only motivation be God-centered.

 

Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. Luke 12:37

By Sarah L