Being a Servant ... What Daniel Got to See Today

Today we were on the way to Chick-fil-a for lunch. That's kind of our Saturday thing. The four of us go eat our favorite food, drink sweet tea (or Dr. Pepper if you're Levi), and then we go to Sam's to get our groceries (milk, fruit, meat, etc.) I don't know how this became our Saturday thing... We did this one Saturday when Daniel was little bitty and we just kept doing it. 😉

Well, while we were driving, I was reading over the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow, and talking to Levi about all the random stuff that popped into my head that did and didn't relate. He picked on me about having ADD, but I kept reading and thinking. Our lesson this week is about how the church functions as the body of Christ, and we are all important parts of the body. We all have strengths and gifts, and we should use those strengths and gifts for the Lord. It takes all of us, all of our strengths, all of our gifts to make a useful body.

Well... remember that song that came out a few years back by Casting Crowns... If We Are the Body... If you've never heard it, I strongly recommend you listen to it. It really gives you something to think about. 

Here is the chorus: 

" But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way, there is a way"

So the song doesn't exactly relate to our Sunday school lesson, but I thought of the song, because we act as parts of the body in the church performing different jobs, activities, functions. But, we as Christians represent the body of Christ by doing for others and serving them. 

I often feel like I'm so busy with life and taking care of my kids, just surviving, that I don't have the time or make the time to make more service happen. When would I do it? How would I do it with the kids? Do I do enough?  

But today, I was reminded that SERVICE IS SIMPLE. I had a gentle reminder of how easy it is to serve, to be the body, without making some elaborate plan, without juggling my schedule, without even really thinking... we shouldn't have to think about it... it should be second nature to us.

Who reminded me? Levi. And he didn't even know he was doing it. He didn't say anything, or even know he was doing anything special. But he was.

We ate at Chick-fil-a, and enjoyed our lunch. We went back to the car and were getting ready to go to Sam's. I buckled in Daniel and then changed Luke's diaper. Levi buckled in Luke. I got in on the passenger side and Levi was about to get back in the driver's seat when he was approached by a man. The man was wearing a backpack, carrying a bucket, holding a spray bottle with what appeared to be some sort of cleaning solution, and he had some towels.  He asked Levi if he would pay him to wash our car. With a look of desperation on his face, he told Levi that he was so hungry and thirsty and that he had a daughter who needed to eat too. He said, "If you would pay me to let me wash your car, I could go buy some bologna and bread to feed us." I don't know his story, or his situation, but he looked desperate, likely because NOBODY was hiring him to wash a vehicle.

Levi told him, "I don't have any cash, but..." (this was true, because we never carry cash)

Before Levi even finished his sentence, the man turned his head downward and began turning the other direction, but Levi kept talking.

"I'll go buy you some food. Would you like that?" Without a second thought, Levi got out of the car and walked up to the door of Chick-fil-a talking to the man. A few minutes later, he emerged carrying a bag with a meal and two water bottles. 

Levi, without even thinking about it was being a servant. He was being the body. His arms were reaching, his feet were going, he was showing love. 

While Levi was inside, Daniel started talking about his daddy going in with the man. Daniel heard most of what the man said, and Daniel knew the man was hungry.

He could have watched his daddy tell the man no.

He could have watched his daddy ignore the man. 

He could have watched his daddy make fun of or mock the man.

He could have heard his daddy make a snide remark... 

But not one of those things happened...

What did Daniel get to see today?

Daniel got to see his Daddy show love. And that's the most important thing he could have seen today. I hope he remembers it forever. 

When Levi got back to the car, I told him, "That was a really nice thing you did."

Daniel said, "Yeah, Daddy, you're a good guy."

I was reminded that service doesn't take elaborate planning. It doesn't take setting aside a huge chunk of time. It doesn't take finding child care. Service should be a part of life. It should come second nature to us. 

Serve. Show love. Be the example. Someone is always watching you... your kids will remember 💓