Most recently I’m learning what it means to have a servants’
heart. Not just within the walls of our community, but how we can better serve
the people that we are ministering to. What does it look like to be a servant of
Christ? I was reading 1 John 2:5-6 “But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is
truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him. ‘Whoever claims
to live in him must walk as Jesus did.’ “
That verse spoke powerfully about how we who claim to live
in him MUST walk as Jesus did. My first thought was where do I start? The
scripture tells us that the first step is obedience. We MUST do what HIS WORD
says to do. We MUST walk as Jesus did. It is a statement that we are commanded
to live out. Half the time we live our lives thinking of how we might offend
others and instead of doing what we are asked to do we shy away. When it comes
down to it though, Jesus is able to handle anything we throw at him. Jesus was
BOLD, CONFIDENT, UNASHAMED, OBEDIENT to God, he did EVERYTHING in LOVE,
developed INTIMATE relationships with people, and he desired only one thing and
that was to do what God asked of him. Jesus didn’t desire the things of this
world. Jesus didn’t live according to the ways of the world or as others but
according to how God instructed him to. He was never resistant to God but
instead was always WILLING.
At the hospital I visited the ICU room and my heart breaks
the instant I walk in the room. I can’t understand their pain. Their conditions
are poor. I walk from bedside to bedside praying that God will heal them. I met
a man who I couldn’t hold an actual conversation with because of our language
barrier. I kept feeling like God wanted me to talk to him and I was like how? Well
God got creative and we had an entire conversation through drawing pictures. I
had no idea what to draw and honestly, I’m not artistic at all. I’m sitting
there drawing pictures of a cross, angels, and hearts. In return he would try
to copy the image the best he could. I don’t really know why but at the end of
our conversation I wrote down two quotes from the bible in English hoping that
one of the Chaplains would be able to translate it to him later in his native
language. Then I prayed over him and when I finished praying with him there was
a giant smile on his face. All I know is that I saw God that day.
I sit here and think that I almost just walked away from
that man because I felt inadequate to communicate with him. I knew we didn’t
speak the same language, but God knew of another way to reach him even though I
did not. I was humbled by what God showed me. Just spending time with someone
is huge. Sometimes the touch of a hand, a smile, or just a little bit of love
is all they need. I learned we are all called to serve others even if we don’t
know how. God wants us to continue to serve others.
