“But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.” 1 Samuel 12:24 NIV
Ron and I have a favorite restaurant we go to often. I know the majority of the waiters and waitress there. I try hard to remember all of their names and keep up with their lives. They are a wonderful group of people who are always there for us on our good days and our bad days. This restaurant is the place we go when we are dealing with life events, good or bad. When I lost my job, we went there. When I finished my first semester, we went there. These people are the ones who share in those moments with us. And we love them. I was a server when I worked my way through college. Not everyone can be a waiter or waitress, my husband for one. He trained for one day and knew he did not have what it takes to do the job. And he doesn’t, because he doesn’t multitask well. Servers have to be able to multitask.
Jesus was the consummate servant, He did it all. He healed the bleeding woman on the way to save Jarius’ daughter (Luke 8:43-48 CSB). He saved the woman from being stoned in the middle of a sermon (John 8:2-11 NIV). He healed the demon possessed man in the midst of his travels (Mark 5:1-20). Servants have to be interruptible, they have to anticipate the needs of those they are serving, and then meet those needs. No one did this better than Jesus. He knew what mattered most, people.
I’m in a very busy season at this point in time. My work load for school is double what it normally is, so I’ve been studying a lot. Sometimes I have to put the “Do Not Disturb” on my phone because the pings from emails, texts, messenger, etc. drives me crazy. But then I remember Jesus’ example of being interruptible, of multitasking, of serving. No study is more important than my loved ones. When Ron unexpectedly comes home for a few minutes during the day, I stop what I am doing to spend those few minutes with him. Those kind of moments are the unexpected blessings of our days we don’t want to miss. Servants hearts think about the other person, they don’t miss those moments. I’m trying to develop my servants heart, my friends that do it so naturally help me do it better.
As I watch my waiter and waitress friends buzz around the restaurant, meeting needs effortlessly, it inspires me to do better. I think of them when I have the opportunity to go the extra mile for my husband, like putting away his laundry instead of leaving it for him to do. Or when I can drop an unexpected gift off to a friend who’s having a bad day. Servants help me get outside of myself and think of others. They help me remember, it’s not about my wants, but theirs.
Today I’m thankful for servants. What are you thankful for?
