servant or slave...
We never know what we have until it's gone. At least, that's what they say. I often tell Annabeth that she is so lucky to take naps multiple times a day because one day, she won't get to. That will be the day she finally appreciates a good nap. When it's too late. Isn't that life? Many of us live our lives never knowing how good we have it until the good is gone, and it's a shame we never realize it before then.
My appreciation for my mom grew exponentially after I graduated college. I knew she did a lot for our family, but once I became a full fledged adult, I marveled at how she did it. Becoming a wife deepened my appreciation for her even more as I was now tasked with the opportunity to take care of someone else along with myself. "I can't wait to wash everyone's laundry, fold it, and put it up for them," said no woman ever. I knew my role as a wife also meant I had taken on the role of a servant. But sometimes, in the midst of the busy-ness of life, we can feel that our role of a servant has morphed into the role of a slave.
I attend a mom's group at my church once a week and as I was listening to the devotional that accompanies the study, this topic was discussed. Slave versus servant. Because we understand that Christ has called us to serve. But we often forget what service looks like, and underneath the loads of laundry, the piles of dirty dishes, the unmade beds, the dusty furniture, and the constant giving of ourselves, we begin feeling like slaves. Like we're doing everything for everyone else. We're picking up their messes, changing their diapers, fixing their meals, preparing their bottles, and we do the same thing over and over, day after day, quickly losing sight of what it really means to serve others and the joy that comes along with it.
If I could go back to my childhood, I'd say, "Hey mom, let me help you out and I'll do my own laundry." Or, "Hey, I'll gladly grab the vacuum and dust rag. You don't even have to ask." But my mom, like all other mothers, was planting seeds that would later blossom into gratitude. And, as Beth Moore says, "Every ground we walk on is fertile." Our efforts are never wasted, even if it feels like they are. Because what if we stopped serving our families? What if we stopped fulfilling the role that God has called us to as women? Bellies would go hungry, little hands would stay sticky, clothes would be smelly, the house would be dirty, and no one would be happy.
When Jesus met with his disciples for the final supper, he washed their feet. He did the job no one wanted to do. The lowliest job. The one with great expectation but little thanks. The job that required a lot of humility and a lot of love. And when he finished it all, knowing what was ahead of him and that the road wasn't going to be any easier, he still found a way to give thanks. Just as we're called to do. To give thanks in everything. And when we do, our perspectives change. We see our list of chores as a list of blessings, and we say, "Thank you, God!" Thank you that you've given me a family. Thank you for this load of pink laundry that clothes my healthy baby girl. Thank you for the dirty dishes that prepared our dinner and filled our bellies. Thank you for a home that needs to be cleaned because we have a little refuge, a small sanctuary, where we can find rest and acceptance. Thank you for trash that needs to be emptied as you've given us excess, and more than we deserve. Thank you for trips to the store to fill our pantry so we can have family dinners each night. Thank you for the early mornings that mark a new day of life. Thank you for clean sheets so we can have a good night's rest. And thank you for books and a laptop that show proof of a hardworking husband who provides for our family so these things can be done day after day, week after week.
Thankful hearts bring about grateful servants because we realize that when we serve others, no matter how big, how small, how repetitive, or how thrilling, we're serving the Lord. And after all He's done for us, well, serving Him with a glad heart is the least we can do.
"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many." - Matthew 20:28
My appreciation for my mom grew exponentially after I graduated college. I knew she did a lot for our family, but once I became a full fledged adult, I marveled at how she did it. Becoming a wife deepened my appreciation for her even more as I was now tasked with the opportunity to take care of someone else along with myself. "I can't wait to wash everyone's laundry, fold it, and put it up for them," said no woman ever. I knew my role as a wife also meant I had taken on the role of a servant. But sometimes, in the midst of the busy-ness of life, we can feel that our role of a servant has morphed into the role of a slave.
I attend a mom's group at my church once a week and as I was listening to the devotional that accompanies the study, this topic was discussed. Slave versus servant. Because we understand that Christ has called us to serve. But we often forget what service looks like, and underneath the loads of laundry, the piles of dirty dishes, the unmade beds, the dusty furniture, and the constant giving of ourselves, we begin feeling like slaves. Like we're doing everything for everyone else. We're picking up their messes, changing their diapers, fixing their meals, preparing their bottles, and we do the same thing over and over, day after day, quickly losing sight of what it really means to serve others and the joy that comes along with it.
If I could go back to my childhood, I'd say, "Hey mom, let me help you out and I'll do my own laundry." Or, "Hey, I'll gladly grab the vacuum and dust rag. You don't even have to ask." But my mom, like all other mothers, was planting seeds that would later blossom into gratitude. And, as Beth Moore says, "Every ground we walk on is fertile." Our efforts are never wasted, even if it feels like they are. Because what if we stopped serving our families? What if we stopped fulfilling the role that God has called us to as women? Bellies would go hungry, little hands would stay sticky, clothes would be smelly, the house would be dirty, and no one would be happy.
When Jesus met with his disciples for the final supper, he washed their feet. He did the job no one wanted to do. The lowliest job. The one with great expectation but little thanks. The job that required a lot of humility and a lot of love. And when he finished it all, knowing what was ahead of him and that the road wasn't going to be any easier, he still found a way to give thanks. Just as we're called to do. To give thanks in everything. And when we do, our perspectives change. We see our list of chores as a list of blessings, and we say, "Thank you, God!" Thank you that you've given me a family. Thank you for this load of pink laundry that clothes my healthy baby girl. Thank you for the dirty dishes that prepared our dinner and filled our bellies. Thank you for a home that needs to be cleaned because we have a little refuge, a small sanctuary, where we can find rest and acceptance. Thank you for trash that needs to be emptied as you've given us excess, and more than we deserve. Thank you for trips to the store to fill our pantry so we can have family dinners each night. Thank you for the early mornings that mark a new day of life. Thank you for clean sheets so we can have a good night's rest. And thank you for books and a laptop that show proof of a hardworking husband who provides for our family so these things can be done day after day, week after week.
Thankful hearts bring about grateful servants because we realize that when we serve others, no matter how big, how small, how repetitive, or how thrilling, we're serving the Lord. And after all He's done for us, well, serving Him with a glad heart is the least we can do.
"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many." - Matthew 20:28
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