Servant

I get up and look at my screaming clock. It yells rather abruptly, 6:55 am.  It is telling me, I am 25 minutes late for my day. In a whirlwind I get ready and rush my kids out the door. I step out my door onto the porch, the day greets me with its sweet splendor. I pause for a minute and take in this cool still morning. I can almost savor the atmosphere. It is patient and peaceful much like rising cookies. It is a little foggy, I wonder if that is a viable excuse for an excused tardy.

I arrive at my first school and I rush my 10 year old out the car door. I give my morning farwell, "I love you, you rock and your amazing". He turns to look at me and responds with "so are you". My heart jumps at his words. I drive across town to drop off my runner, as I shove her out I say "I love you and remember you are amazing". She replies with "your the best".
I pause in the parking lot as I am certain my heart is growing. How wonderful that a child would accept words from some one so much older. What if we spoke these words to our youngsters? Regardless of how they dressed or how they spoke. What if we edified them? Would that allow hope in these lives, that seem to have lost all hope?

This runner of mine is about 30 years younger than me and yet she accepts my words. Yesterday,  I had the privilege of serving as the Master of Ceremonies for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program Appreciation Banquet. I sit and watch as there is an abundance of wisdom entering the room. This room quickly fills with servants, every single one of them still serving. I find it odd that the banquet begins at 6:00 pm and the room begins to fill at 5:25. These servants all find a place near each other. I watch this group to see how they will break off in groups. I watch to find the stragglers. There is no separation, there is no stragglers. They all seem to have a place at the table, they all belong. They are enveloped in conversation and as another servant walks in the room they all adjust to make room. I notice something even stranger, no one has pulled out their cell phone. There is no one checking their email, texting or posting on face book. They are all in the moment they are enjoying each other.

I sit quietly soaking  in the wisdom.  I check the list to see how many have shown up. To my surprise there are only 2 servants that did not make it.  I am thrilled to be in their presence. It is time for dinner and they begin to go through the food line. The men wait in the back of the line and the women go first but not before the woman in the wheelchair has food. I go and stand at the end of the table ready to assist. I offer to carry drinks and deserts to the table. As I reach for the cup and the bread they will partake of, I am overwhelmed. My spirit is pleased, as I am His hands and feet, I am serving those He loves so dearly.

At the end of the banquet they begin to call the years served and I am in awe. I stand and hand them their applause on paper. I hug them and whisper,"you are the best". They have served 244,000 hours in one year. If we calculated how many hours we have served, what would our total be? 

 "It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end."  John 13:1

His last expression of love with out words He served them by washing His Disciples feet.