Serving Others
Once a month our parish prepares a meal for a shelter and we serve approximately 30-35 people. It’s a full meal, including dessert, and it’s homemade by parishioners of the parish. Not long ago the gentleman who took care of this program was diagnosed with cancer and is unable to continue doing this good work. Last week, my pastor asked me if I would be willing to take over. He told me to pray about it and get back to him. I think he knew that I would do it because he knows I love cooking and feeding people and he knows I love serving. He was not surprised when I told him yes a couple days later.
Last night I worked with the man who has been running the program and he showed me how it works. It was great! We arrived at the home and immediately people started helping us carry in food, set out plates, put the food out and then clean up. I met a lot of great people and I cannot wait for next month!
These people were so gracious, continually thanking us, offering to help us any way they could. They were also very humble and it was a great reminder to me to be grateful for all I have, even in the midst of my own difficulties. I have a lot of difficulties right now in my life and one might wonder why I would take on a task like this, but it is because of my difficulties that I took on this task. As I mentioned earlier, I love serving and when I serve others, I forget about myself and I love it when I can focus on others.
Yesterday, I was not feeling well and I haven’t been feeling well for about a week. To be honest, I am exhausted and that’s why I don’t feel well. I have a few chronic health conditions, one is terminal and I need my rest and I need to take care of myself and that’s normally not a problem. But, this has been a rough year for my husband and his health and he is currently on bed rest until a wound heals. Sunday marked 7 weeks in bed – 5 of them at home. He has to be turned every 2 hours, including at night. We were unable to find satisfactory nursing home care, so I am taking care of him myself. While I am happy to do it – and happy knowing he is getting excellent care – it is taking a toll on me. Getting up every 2 hours during the night is tough, hence the exhaustion.
So, I am exhausted and do not feel well and feeling a bit sorry for myself (and my husband) because we are stuck at home and we don’t get very many visitors and not many people who offer to help. I was very focused on myself and my problems and all I could think was that I did not want to go and serve a meal to people because I was too tired. I made the commitment though, so I went. Fortunately, a friend had agreed to stay with my husband so I could go (she served, so I could go serve).
It changed my entire day! First of all, I had to drive 25 miles up to my parish and it is a beautiful drive through southwest Wisconsin so just being out on a beautiful day, driving, was a great start! Then, I got to meet some people from the parish who help prepare the meal – I love meeting other “servers”. Then, on to the mission house where all these people, in an unfortunate situation, offered their service to help us to help them. I was meeting such beautiful people – people, who like me, are having a tough time in life. They were so sweet and kind and gracious. I spent over 3 hours thinking about others and completely forgetting about myself and my own difficulties and it was fantastic!
That’s how I want my life to go everyday – to serve others in whatever capacity they need help. To alleviate their sufferings, even if in just a small way. Serving that meal should have exhausted me in the condition I have been in lately and instead, it energized me! I was probably fed more than those people I took a meal to.
In scripture, there are so many ways Jesus teaches us to love others – in fact, it’s one of the two greatest commandments…Luke 10:27 “He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
Are you loving your neighbor as yourself?
A friend sent me a text last evening that said, “You make me happy” and that made me happy. So simple...just a few words.
It’s so simple to lift others up – either in words or deeds – so I ask again, are you loving your neighbor as yourself?
