Being A Servant of God . . .

“And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,
Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him
in whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.”

Ruth 2:2 KJV

I spent the weekend of July 4^th – 7^th up at the Radisson Hotel by the Indianapolis Airport volunteering at the USFWI/QMI Triennial (United Society of Friends Women International/Quaker Men International). I had been asked by Kathy back in mid-October if I would help out with Registration and in mid-December Julie asked me if I would do Children’s Programing for grades K-6. I agreed to do both. About mid-June Kathy asked me if the children in my program & I would help collect the meal tickets – I said yes, as I saw it as a great opportunity for the children to get involved with the adults . . . a way for them to give some service. I am a Scout Leader after all, and Scouts are always doing or giving service to others.

 

Well, as it turns out, no children registered in my program level, a bit of a letdown as I had prepared several things for us to do including a field trip to either the Indianapolis Zoo or Indianapolis Children’s Museum – depending on the weather. So I contacted Kathy and told her I was free to help her all weekend with Registration and collecting meal tickets . . . sounded like fun.

 

Registration was very simple and really didn’t take much time, find out their name, check them off the list, give them their envelope with name tag, meal tickets, etc., give them a roster of the attendees, make sure they had picked up a purple tote bag (which had a program booklet and small journal among other items) and make sure the Kenyan Friends were given a Bible as well. I enjoyed meeting & greeting many new Friends as well as some old Friends. After the main registration period on Thursday afternoon our job turned more to hospitality – answering questions and helping Friends any way we could.

 

When meal times came, I was at one of the two doors leading into the dining room greeting Friends, taking their meal tickets and directing them to the buffet line. Throughout the weekend, I was thanked over and over again, but the Kenyan Friends thanked me specifically for the 'service' I was giving them. Service? Hummmmm, I hadn’t thought of it as service . . . I was just collecting their meal tickets, I was volunteer, I was just doing my job . . . I was not giving 'service.' As I look back now and thinking about what all I really did and the comments made and conversations . . . I see that I was more involved in providing 'hospitality' to our visiting Friends. Ugh, but wait a minute, I had used the word ‘service’ when I talked about the children doing it . . . Hummmmm, OK, I did give service.

 

My "Mom' Rebecca & I

While I was collecting meal tickets Friday evening, I got involved in a rather lengthy conversation with one of my new Kenyan Friends, Rebecca, and it happened in the doorway to the dining room, where many of the conversations I had were. On her way in for dinner, Rebecca thanked me for my service; she was the first Friend that had used the word 'service.' I told her she was most welcome and that I was enjoying greeting everyone and the conversations. But, she didn't stop there. She went on talking with me and how I was being a 'servant of God' and what all that meant. She referred to Matthew 25:23 “Well done, good and faithful servant!” WOW, that sent shivers up and down my spine, and still does. And it was somewhere in the middle of this conversation that she said she would now call me her 'daughter.' Her daughter, wow, I took that as a huge complement. I told her I would be happy to be her daughter, as my mother had passed away back in January 1994, and I would call her my ‘mom.’ We both had big smiles on our faces. I was feeling really blessed, REALLY BLESSED! The rest of the weekend we greeted each other as 'mom' and 'daughter' and would ask how the other was.



My 'Dad' Henry & I

Now, it felt strange to me to be thanked, by the Kenyan Friends, for taking their meal tickets and to be thanked again as they left the meal. One of the Kenyan men, my 'dad' Henry, explained to me that thanking me, especially after the meal was a custom of theirs. So, I continued to accept their thanks. I had told Henry on his way in for dinner Friday evening that my dad’s middle name was Henry, so he had a good name in my book. He smiled at me and said ‘Then I will be your dad, too!’ I accepted, and told Henry that my dad had died nearly 12 years ago, so I could use a dad. Henry said his dad too had died, so now we would have each other. Another blessing!

 

OK, I went to the Triennial just to help out . . . to do a simple little job or two . . . but those I was helping saw what I was doing in a much different light . . . they saw me giving 'service' and as a 'servant of God!' They taught me to see what I was doing through their eyes and the eyes of God. This is just another example of God having another plan for my life. This time I listened and followed his plan and because of that I was blessed over and over. When I left Sunday afternoon I was not the same person I was when I first arrived on Thursday afternoon . . . I was so full of joy and overwhelmingly blessed!

 

How have you been a ‘servant of God?’ This last week? Today? And to whom did you give service?