This afternoon I got home ready to tag-team the kids with my wife and begin work on this week's blog post and topic. As my wife was headed out the door she asked, "Would you mind cleaning off and wiping the counters in the kitchen?" I explained I already had plans for the next hour before we had to tag-team the kids back again. She said it was okay...with hesitation.
That should have been my first clue. After she left, I begrudgingly convinced myself that I needed to help out, but all I really wanted to do was get started on this post, because I didn't know when else I would have time to do it. Then came my second clue--I remembered my topic for this week is Service!
Let's just say that I wiped down the kitchen chairs too.
What is Service?
When you hear the word "service," what do you think of? Do terms likes, cleaning service or repair service come to mind? Or is it that cheesy dance movie from 2004, "You Got Served." I hope not. That movie got a 3.3 star rating (out of 10) on IMDB.
The top definition that popped up when I Google searched "service" was: "The action of helping or doing work for someone."
We are not talking about paid service here. No, what we are talking about here is serving others. You know, helping people out when they need a hand and without any sort of expectations in return. Not familiar with that kind of service? Well, let's get acquainted.
Service We Receive
In my mind, service is the opposite of laziness. Let me give you a great example that involves the awning to my front porch. You know the type. Falling apart, rotting away. An eye-sore. Blight. Okay, maybe not that bad, but it definitely needed to be taken care of.
Classic story here: Man sees project. Man attempts project. Man discovers bigger project than he anticipated. Man gets stuck with heap-big mess and no real solution.
Needless to say, I called my younger brother as a recruit. We spent most of the day trying to solve the problem, but found it growing larger. As my brother and I made our attempts, my neighbor from down the street drove past a couple of times and gave us a curious grin and wave each time he passed. Meanwhile, my other neighbors thought we are putting up Christmas lights and proceeded to put their kids to work on their home (awesome).
As dusk approached, the neighbor from down the street drove up again and stopped to see what we were doing. I explained the project and he followed up with a series of logical questions--you know, like stuff about proper tools and materials--all of which we had not really thought about. Seeing our plight, he took me to his home and dished out supplies, then followed me back and watched us fumble for a little bit. However, before I knew it, he was a part of the team. In the end, we had a full-blown, professionally shingled roof for the awning (Oh ya, double awesome)!
As it turns out, my neighbor is a general contractor. That morning he had already driven about three hours south for a job, returned home for a bit, and then drove an hour east for another job. By the time he stopped at my house it was well past dinner. By the time we completed the roof for my awning it was past 10 pm. To top off the night, my Christmas light neighbors realized we were not as festive as they originally thought and came over to see if I needed additional help.
That day four people came to my aid (well, actually five, if you count my wife taking care of everything else for the day). Each served in their own way, but I was equally grateful for all of them. None of them had to do what they did. They all had a lot on their plates and sacrificed their own time just to help out. I could not have been more grateful.
Service We Give
Not all service requires the same commitment of those who helped me. Service comes in many forms, like the example of simply helping my wife with the kitchen counters. What I didn't mention earlier was that my wife had already scrubbed all the pots and pans (the worst chore in the kitchen), all while taking care of a sick child. Other people serve by making donations, teaching a life skill or just providing daily help to a loved one in a difficult situation.
Why We Fail To Serve
I find that the greatest service opportunities I pass up are not when I am too busy, but when I am too lazy. Often, when I am taking the chance to sit down after a day of work, my kids come and ask me to help with something--usually trivial--like tying a bow on something in their room. My robot response is generally, "I will help you in a minute." Then after using that line for about 10 to 20 minutes, I find myself agitated by their relentless requests and resort to doing it. In reality though, if I would have helped them in the first place, I could have been done in less than a minute and truly relaxed for the remaining 19.
The Benefits of Service
I am starting to realize that the little opportunities to give service are never trivial and often have the biggest impacts in our lives. As my children are starting to get a little older and learning to refuse to help around the house, I realize that my own laziness has taught them laziness. However, if I can serve them with the same swiftness that I wish they would render when I asked them to do something, perhaps their reactions might be more positive. Why? Because I will have showed them how to respond in a more positive way. This may sound too idealistic, and sometimes it really is, but as I have gotten my rear off the couch and tried, I have found that it is true for the most part. I have found that they naturally want to show me service in the same way I showed them service.
Service incorporates selflessness, kindness, and sacrifice, which are often accompanied by love and gratitude from those whom we serve or serve us. Who wouldn't want that, right?
Enough with my stories, because I want to hear yours! There are hundreds of ways to serve and probably a thousand more benefits that come from service. I have not even scratched the surface. What has service meant to you? From who? Why? Name just one. Like a friend, a family member, an act, a sacrifice, or a type of service, like that of our military "service" men and women.
Here are a couple of scriptural references to study more about service:
The Good Samaritan, Luke 10:30-37
King Benjamin, Mosiah 2:11-19
Be sure to share!
No comments:
Post a Comment