What if there is pain in your life? When life and relationships don’t turn out as you had envisioned? What is your response?
Every Sunday morning at church, we have a little time before service begins.
So I began to take my kids to our church library in the mornings because it has an extensive collection of biographies of missionaries and great men and women of God, past and present. Who have served Jesus faithfully. Part of our homeschool curriculum.
Every Sunday, there is a sweet elderly lady who checks our books in and out for us. This morning, I thanked her for volunteering every week to help my kids and I.
It was a simple thanks of appreciation, and after that, she started to share with me about her prodigal son.
53 years old. Into alcohol and drugs. Lives in a shed owned by her ex-husband. Struggles to manage life. Doesn’t have steady employment.
She retired from working in our church for 20 years and is now working part-time at Chick-fil-a.
Her prodigal son has caused her grief and heartache. Yet what does she do? What is Nancy’s response to a life when her marriage and children didn’t turn out the way she had hoped?
She serves faithfully. Every. Single. Week.
Nancy isn’t famous. She leads a quiet life. But her desire to serve is no different from those famous Christians my children have been reading about.
No Billy Graham or Lottie Moon here. But a library volunteer who gives her time and energy to Jesus. So that kids like my children can read about Jesus and missionaries and evangelists.
Be encouraged, beloved. No matter where you are in life or what difficult circumstances surround you, Jesus is calling for hearts to serve. He’s calling you.
Live a servant’s heart life. Live the real truth.
”God has given you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another…
Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it all with your strength and energy that God supplies.
Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.” —1 Peter 4:10-11