Serving Others

I have never been one to graciously help another. I don't volunteer at the hospital. I don't offer to watch other people's children. When a fellow member of my community is in need of help I will almost always bury my head in the sand until the need of help passes. I try and excuse my behavior by saying I am too busy with 4 children, or too busy with Sarah's medical needs, or too busy with homeschooling, etc...but what message is this sending my children? A bad one.

I have been reading the Bible everyday and also reading this amazing serious of Joshua books by Joseph Girzone. Both the Bible and the Joshua book series talk often of serving others. Of helping those less fortunate than yourself or of helping those in need. I didn't realize this before (or maybe I didn't want to), but it is my duty as a human being to help others in need. And it is my duty to not only explain to my children that helping those in need is a must, but to also show them how to help others. So often we are so "busy" with our lives that we do not take the time to help anyone else unless it serves us some purpose.  Unless we get something out of it. At least that is the way that I certainly was.

 I never took those pleas very seriously when someone reached out for help. I always took the approach that someone else would help. Someone less busy, with less children, with less responsibility. But, you know what? We are all busy and we all have a lot of responsibility and the number of children that we have has nothing to do with our ability to help others.

Or when I did help others I would let everyone I know that I was helping someone, so that I could get a pat on the back from all I told. That isn't what helping someone is about. Good works and deeds should be between me and God. Not between me and the whole world. I have been trying to find a way to help others for a bit of time now, and an opportunity fell into my lap today.

I explained to my children what we would be doing. I told them that while the job would not be much fun it would be very much appreciated by the recipient. We talked about why helping others is so beneficial. The kids did a great job helping out - the boys more so than the girls, but that is to be expected. The best part about the whole thing was that our help, even if only for a few hours, was appreciated so much.

And so, we will keep our eyes open from now on and look for ways to serve others. This is such an important lesson that my kids learn. Serving others seems to be fading away as we all lose ourselves in our technologies that keep us apart from one another. That is a shame.

 We have been so blessed by those who have served us during our trials with Sarah. It is time to Pay It Forward.