Can I Be of Service? How?

A Year of Being Kind blog – Thursday, March 13, 2014

Can I Be of Service? How?

Can I be of service today? I did not have that intentional thought today, it is true. However, in retrospect, I found I did perform some service. Several times!

I worked today. I was of service there. I ran some errands, so I was of service to my family and my husband. I went to the gym this morning—I even did some self-care, and was of service to myself! So, yes. I did perform some acts of service today, although they were not intentional. I mean, I did not pray specifically for God to send some brand-new opportunities for service into my life. The service just sort of happened. Just sort of was there. After thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that’s great, too!

In among the errands I did today, I stopped by my friend’s store to pick up several little items I asked her to get ready for my church’s fund-raiser. (a Bunco party! How retro is that?) My friend Sarah has the most visually appealing store I know of. Of course, she is a floral designer, and has just superb taste. (In case anyone would like to find her, her shop Four Finches is in the Chicago suburb of Evanston. http://fourfinches.com/ )

Sarah has the precious gift of making stunning arrangements, using flowers, plants and other visually appealing bits and pieces. She can also choose lovely gift items. Her store is, as I said, attractive and restful to the eye. So, Sarah took advantage of a service opportunity today! She provided several small but very appealing things that I am taking to the church as raffle gifts.

Now that I think more about it, I find I am seeing service opportunities in many places. Isn’t it funny how a prayer that I prayed a number of times could change how I look at things in such a fundamental way? I mean, seeing potential acts of service, love and caring is not the typical thing that comes to some people’s minds. And March is not even half over, yet.

This service-thing — I felt that God wanted me to embark on it for the year 2014. I tried to walk right into it with as few expectations as possible. All I knew was that I felt God wanted me to do it. Sort of. I didn’t really have a clear idea about that, either. I don’t want to appear grandiose or anything, but my embarking on A Year of Being Kind was just a little like Abram setting forth from Ur of the Chaldees. Abram didn’t know where he was going. And neither do I.

Now that I’ve started the Lenten journey to the Cross, I feel more like Abram than I did before. It’s one day at a time, for sure. God, I am sorry I did not intentionally pray for You to show me something today. But You showed up, nevertheless!

Gee, I wonder what God will send me tomorrow?

@chaplaineliza

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Internal Life? Or External Walk?

A Year of Being Kind blog post for Monday, December 30, 2013

Internal Life? Or External Walk?

            For the past few years, I’ve been concerning myself with—myself. I have been striving to maintain some kind of spiritual balance, working on my internal, spiritual component. I pray regularly (or at least, try to). I visit my therapist and spiritual director regularly, work out on a weekly basis at the local YMCA gym, and I even practiced relaxation and meditation in an intensive way for several months. In all of this, I have been working on the inner “me.”

I have also been intentional with my prayer life. Not only have I been praying on an increasingly regular basis, but I’ve also started a prayer chain and prayer blog, so we all can be encouraged in our personal prayer lives. This helps my inner relationship with God prosper, too.

            But, what about my relationship with others? How about my family? Friends? What about those at church, or at the gym? What about my co-workers, or strangers I meet on the street? Have I been as studious and diligent at developing my relationship with them?

            Yes, I am called by God to be in relationship with God—the vertical relationship.  But I am also called to be in community, as well—the horizontal relationship, one with another. One of my spiritual gifts is helping people. And by nature, I am kind and compassionate in my relations with others. It’s my relationship with others and with my local community (as well as their relationship with me) that I want to work on in 2014.

            That’s why 2014 is my year to be kind. To help. To be of service. Intentionally.