Serving Hangups

We had our women’s shepherd training last week and we talked some about service and outreach. The Women’s Ministry at our church takes one week during the spring semester and sets it aside as our ‘Go Week’ and all of the small groups choose something to do or collect for different organizations in order to reach out to others.


During our training, all of the shepherds were discussing the different reactions from their groups last spring regarding this experience. One shepherd shared with us that her group had a really hard time with it…as in they really did not want to participate. Now, just in case you were about to all get high and mighty and judgmental you need to know that these groups are primarily moms of young children…a lot of them with newborns even. Their argument was that they felt they barely had enough time and energy to serve their own family let alone others. I get that! I have been there! I have moments/days/weeks that I feel that way. This amazing shepherd who shared this told us that in response to their grumblings she sent out an email to the girls in her group with a link (I think it was a link or maybe a list??) with lots of little ways that we can still ‘serve’ others as easy as picking up a piece of garbage at the park that missed the trash can. It is that easy! Just doing those little things can and WILL change our whole frame of mind, because instead of being self-focused you will slowly become others-focused and isn’t that what it’s all about?!?! It doesn’t matter that you are not over in Africa this week administering vaccinations to HIV+ grandmothers. While that is absolutely wonderful, you CAN make a difference right where you are! Not only to others but for yourself and for your children and friends and ENTIRE sphere of influence. WHY WOULDN’T WE WANT TO DO THAT?


I have thought a lot about that group and about where I was personally with regards to serving others when my now 9 year old was a newborn. I remember being right about where this group sounded to be.


Some of our discussion that day was also about how easy it is to get hung up on wanting to serve ‘BIG.’ Like that is the only way to make a difference. That was one of my own biggest hang-ups when I started putting this plan into motion. How silly...a peanut butter and jelly sandwich lunch. What’s that going to do, right? I’ve even had a ‘friend’ essentially tell me how ridiculous it is. The thing of it is, it IS making a difference. And it is WAY more than just a PB&J!

Week #12 - 9/11/12

Today we met McCall.  He is struggling with several different health issues and wanted us to pray with him.  He talked to us for a long time.

It seems like a lot of the time our friends here in the park just want someone to listen to them. 

Week #11 - 9/4/12

WOW! Here we go (Two parts):  So I have been feeling a little discouraged about the last several weeks.  I think mostly because we had several weeks in the summer where we had several people ask us to pray with them and I really felt that they were becoming comfortable and opening up some and then that all stopped.  It was still incredible and it is/was obvious that they are becoming comfortable with us.  Nonetheless, I was discouraged in some ways.

Part One:   

We pray before we get started every week, but this particular morning I finally handed over my discouraged heart to God and prayed specifically that if anyone needed prayer or a hug or even just a touch, that they would reach out to us for that.  Enter Jameson.  Jameson was traveling from one end of the park to the other towards the bus stop when we offered him a lunch.  He gratefully accepted and went on his way to wait for the bus.  Shortly after, we had finished our ‘route’ and saw someone we had not yet served over close to the bus bench so we headed that way.  We were walking behind the bus bench toward this man when Jameson, who was sitting on the bench waiting for the bus, literally reached his hand out to us and asked if we would pray with him.  (SAY WHAT, GOD!?!?!?).

Part Two:  

The previous week we had several lunches left over so we also prayed that we would have just the right amount this time.  It turned out when all was said and done, we had three lunches remaining.  So Rachelle and I decided that we would keep them up front with us instead of in the cooler just in case we saw someone on the way home.  We also had the discussion that in order to avoid insulting anyone it would have to be very obvious that the person needed a lunch before we would just start tossing lunches out the car window.  J  So we are traveling North on Meridian almost to 38^th Street, which is really the last point that we would most likely encounter an opportunity to hand a lunch out the window.  J  As I am approaching the light (which is RED) I look to the corner of the intersection where we are and there is a young woman standing there with a sign “Please Help my family.  We will accept anything.”  I move to the right lane, which was wide open - Rachelle saw her at the same time and was rolling her window down and grabbing the lunches - We pull up, hand over the lunches, and the light turns green.  It happened just as you read it.  God’s impeccable timing.

Some weeks I guiltily feel like I am receiving more blessings than the people I am serving and trying to bless myself.  I hope you have had a moment or a season where you were so close to God, you literally felt his breath on the back of your neck.  I know that some of those seasons are during heartbreak or struggles.  BUT, if you’ve been there and have had that experience you know that those can often be some of the sweetest times in your walk with Jesus.  I may sound off my rocker…but that is the best way I can describe it.