On Serving

When I was a child Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day was one of my favorite books.  As funny as this book is I think we can all identify with "Alexander days"  This past week was not just an Alexander day for me, but an Alexander week. One of those weeks where on the outiside everything looked fine, but on the inside I felt like I was being punched over and over again.  By the weekend I really wanted to just stay in bed pull the covers over my head and forget about the world around me.  But instead I was signed up to lead an activity at a home for people with alcohol addiction/HIV/mental issues.  To be completely honest on this day this was the last place I wanted to be.  But I put a smile on my face and I went.  I walked in the facility and one of the sweet residents who wouldn't talk to me 2 months ago was waiting at the door ready to help carry my bags of food and supplies down to the recreation room.  I know some of what this lady has gone through in the last few months and I know that it is far worse than what I have experienced in my entire life.  Her life is hard.  Her life makes my life look like a piece of cake.  For this lady these 2 hours on Saturday were the highlight of her week.  And so for those 2 hours I gave it my all.  We made ice cream sundays, painted coffee mugs, and had one big bingo competion.  I dove into conversation with the residents and I heard pieces of their stories.  With each word that was spoken I was continually reminded how good my life really is.  I don't deserve the life i have.  I don't deserve to not struggle with the addicitons they struggle with, to not face the homelessness they have faced, to not be in the same exact place that they sit.  The Lord has been incredibly merciful to me and I often forget that.

At the Gospel Coalition conference in June I listend to Nancy Guthrie give a talk on grief.  It was such a good and practical talk.  One of the things on her list as she talked about overcoming grief wa to serve others.  She challenged us all of the importance of stepping outside of ourselves and serving others when going through periods of grief and suffering.  Now I am not necessarily going through a season of grief, but I was in great need on Saturday of stepping outside of myself.  The truth is I need to often take the opportunity to step outside of myself and to put another person first.  Thankfully the Lord has given me numerous opportunities in my 20's to serve others.  He has specifically done this in NYC.  The truth is you can't walk 2 blocks without be given the opportunity to serve another indvidual.  I can't get from my my apt to my office without passing at least one person who is living life on the street. I think this is really good for me. I struggle so much with comparing my life to others. With feeling discontent and feeling like other peoples lives are "better" than mine.  I think a way for me to fight this struggle is to be forced to look in the eyes of others who really are enduring the pain and brokeness of our fallen world with very hard lives.  I have served at various places in my life and I don't think I have ever walked away not having been blessed. I know I am there to serve, but honestly the Lord uses it just as much to teach me.  I am thankful the Lord has placed me in a city where there is opportunity on every corner to serve a human being.  I am thankful He has given me a heart to serve and that he is faithful to continue to grow my heart is considering others better than myself.

Serving is a sacrifice.  It forces you to get out of your comfort zone.  It forces you to be faced with people and environments that are not always easy.  It forces you to be bold and to take a risk.  It is much easier to stay in the bubble of your world, but Jesus didn't call us to that.  He called us to see Him in the poor. He called us to serve those in need  and He called us to do it without judgement.  I know deep down that it could just as easily be me sitting on the corner of Broadway wearing old rags, begging for money, and smelling like rotten eggs.  It could just as easily be me living at a home like the one I have been serving at.  And truthfully it could just as easily be YOU.
Everyone who knows me knows I have a heart for mercy.  It is hard for me to understand why every person does not take serving the poor and margilized seriously. I am thankful to go to a church that values it so much.  I am thankful that the Lord has enabled me the ability to serve.  

I think I write all this because I need to be reminded that there really is blessing in serving.  I also write this because my heart overflows in this area and I really want to challenge you to consider serving in your area.  It will be a sacrifice.  And you probably can come up with 10 reasons why you don't have the capacity to serve right now.  BUT I would challenge you to pray about it. I would challenge you to think outside of yourself and to really believe that you will experience deep blessing if you choose to serve others.
It probably won't be easy. And it definitely won't always be fun. But you will have the opportunity to make a difference in someones life and that in itself weighs out all the other reasons not to serve!