Serving others takes many forms. It can be providing childcare for a single mom, volunteering at school or a non-profit organization or church. For me, it has taken the form of picking up a neighbor to go to church, listening to someone, or taking a meal to a new mom. Often it involves making time in your schedule to help someone.
Serving means intentionally attending to someone else’s needs.
My word for this year is “intentional.”So, what does intentional serving look like? Recently I had an opportunity to find out.
I had registered for a general market writer’s conference anticipating that I would learn from workshops I chose and networking with a variety of people. When the call went out for volunteers to assist faculty, I knew I would go with a different purpose, that of serving.
I stepped out of my comfort zone not only by going alone to the large conference, but also because I agreed to be a ‘shepherd’ for one of the faculty. This meant I was assigned to a faculty member, would introduce her in her workshops, make sure she everything she needed for the presentation, and share meals if necessary. Although I would still benefit from workshops and networking, they became secondary.
Attending the pre-conference faculty dinner felt a little awkward, since this was my first year. Nervously, I waited to meet my assigned faculty ‘sheep.’
When she came in, our introductions were very comfortable. We had visited each other’s web sites so we knew a little about the other. Conversation flowed easily throughout the meal. I learned more of her topic and what she needed for her workshops. We realized we shared some commonalities beyond our creative interests. Most importantly, we found we shared a similar faith in Christ.
As the conference unfolded, our friendship grew. Her presentations went smoothly. We shared faith conversation at meals. On the second day she eagerly told me about a ‘divine appointment’ she had with someone with a very different worldview. We even prayed for each other.
I received a ‘boomerang blessing’ of serving and received a blessing in return with a new friend.
If you step out of your comfort zone to serve, the Lord will empower you by His grace to show His love wherever you go.
“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.” Ephesians 6:7
How can you serve someone today in a small way?
