WHO IS SERVING WHOM? Lent Devotion #16

SCRIPTURE: 1 Kings 12:7     Then they (the elders) spoke to him (King Rehoboam), saying, “If you will be as a servant to this people today, will serve them, grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” (NAS)

For many years my mission was counseling women who had been abused as children. I served them with my presence, professional knowledge and skills, and my spiritual input. My reward at the time was disruption of family and personal life and unbelievably high stress levels. Another reward was their service to me in terms of education and teaching me to trust in God.

Today many of them serve me in other ways. The daughter of one couple rented a house from us for six years, and I rested knowing the property would be improved and the rent would be always paid in a timely fashion. My reassurance came from knowing if things weren’t done properly, her father would get to her before we would ever know of the improprieties. Her father became my servant.

Another woman always opens her doors to me, in gratitude, when I visit her community. She even wants me to have a key to her home permanently in case I need a place to stay and she is away. Again, I am being served.

A young couple, now living life functionally, adopted my husband and I as parents. She is like family, after moving from a need for professional counseling to normal parent-adult child chitchat. I am served with an expanded family.

I know all these people whom I served will remain my servants forever. When they discover a need of mine, either by my request or by their own acute observation, they will be there to help, because I was there for them, serving them, granting their petition and speaking good words to them.

How have you served others? In what ways have those you’ve served become your servants?