Servant

Luke 17:7-10 (The Message)

7-10"Suppose one of you has a servant who comes in from plowing the field or tending the sheep.

Would you take his coat, set the table, and say, 'Sit down and eat'?

Wouldn't you be more likely to say, 'Prepare dinner; change your clothes and wait table for me until I've finished my coffee; then go to the kitchen and have your supper'?

Does the servant get special thanks for doing what's expected of him? It's the same with you.

When you've done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, 'The work is done. What we were told to do, we did.'"

In the sanctuary at First United Methodist Church of Thomson, Georgia, there is a fabulous stained glass window that's been there for well over 100 years.

I first saw it when I served in the Augusta District and attended various meetings in Thomson.

There are two windows, actually. They're very prominent in the architecture of the sanctuary and can't be missed. Each window holds the likeness of a man and woman, pillars of that church in the 19th century.

There's a single line of text beneath each picture. I can't remember what it said under the man's face. But I'll never forget the words that lay beneath the stony, weary, tough-as-nails expression of his wife.

"She hath done what she could."

That's really what it says. I couldn't make this up. For more than 100 years, this woman's final testimony has stood fast.

"She hath done what she could."

That always struck me as hilarious. If I was ever at a meeting that got a little boring, I could just look over at Mrs. "She-hath-done-what-she-could," and laugh on the inside.

I always wondered about her life. I wondered how she came to feel like that statement should be the best way to sum up her whole life's experience.

But I'm a little older now, and I'm starting to see some wisdom in the statement.

SOTH's visitation ministry has taught me a lot about this concept. We go out into the community and knock on doors...but we do it differently. We're not there to get anything out of anybody. We're not there to talk to them about heaven and hell. We're not thumping Bibles. We're there because we feel that God does call us to go out and meet our neighbors. We're supposed to reach out to people with love, and you can't do that if you just wait for them to walk through the door.

The first thing we were taught about this ministry? It's not about ego...it's about obedience. It's simply about doing what God calls us to, and expecting nothing in return. The victory comes when we leave the parking lot.

Jesus reminds us...just serve...and be content.

Have you ever gone out in life and really expected nothing in return?

It's not easy...but that total lack of ego...at the end of our lives...it might mean that "he (she) did what he (she) could" would be enough.

Prayer: Father, we pray that just being your servant could be enough. Teach us to leave our egos, in exchange for peace and grace.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.