Perspective. We could all use a little. Sometimes in life things happen and we find ourselves caught up, spun around, and knocked on our behinds. It hurts, but it happens. Funny thing is, if we never ended up sitting on our duffs we wouldn't gain the advantage of a new point of view.
I had a patient the other day who came into clinic wearing this beautiful vest. When I walked in the exam room I noticed it immediately. It was yellow, red, green, white, and black. From across the room it looked like crochet. The patient's mother said he had made the vest himself. I was even more amazed because this young man had some pretty severe disabilities. He does not talk and he will never be able to care for himself. We proceeded with the interview and, as we began to address her main reason for presenting today, I approached him for my physical exam. As I got closer I started noticing some new things about the vest. The individual threads were slightly rougher than I originally thought. The edges were a little less even. The colors were actually more varied up close than was evident from acorss the room. I reached out and touched the vest. It was not crochet. It was made out of... twist ties! Suddenly, what seemed amazing and beautiful was now astounding and inspiring. How long had this taken? There were thousands of twist ties comprising this vest. That's a lot of twisting! That's a lot of ties!
Perspective. Of course, it works in reverse too. Sometimes things seem so beautiful and so good and then we get a taste and... blech! I like to cook. Most of the time I'm successful but when I'm not, well, let's just say I bow my head and thank the Lord for delivery. Like the time I grilled fish for my parents. The dish came out looking like a magazine picture. We all sat down to dig in. The table looked nice. My mouth was watering. Mom, dad and I opened up for our first bites AAAAAND DISASTER! What I thought was garlic powder was actually onion powder! It was a short meal. My spices are labeled correctly now.
One person from scripture who I imagine gained A LOT of perspective was Eve. How did she end up deciding what was for dinner that night in Eden? Maybe it went a little something like this:
Adam: "What do you want for dinner?"
Eve: "I don't care."
Adam: "I know you have an opinion. What do you want?"
Eve (shrugs): "Really. I don't care."
Adam: "Okay. How about some oranges?"
Eve (examinng her hands): "Wellllll, oranges are niiiice. They have loads of vitamin C but the rind gets under my nails..."
Adam: "Okay, what do YOU want?"
Eve (shakes head and purses lips): "I don't care."
Adam (exasperated and throwing his hands in the air): "See! I can't take it! Every night, it's the same conversation! You're on your own for dinner, woman! I'll meet you back at this tree in an hour!"
So he stomps off and the rest is history. Eve meets the serpent and now we all weed our gardens, work our butts off, and have to live through sweltering summers like this one. I bet in her heart of hearts Eve never again wanted to leave Adam's side and she sure as heck never hesitated to voice her opinion again!
Speaking of hearts - the perspective of the heart is tricky. My heart recently gained a new point of view. Do we love freely and take our chances or do we protect ourselves and love only when it is safe? I've always voted for "love freely" and, despite recent events, I think I'll still lean that way. Jesus loved freely. I know, it's waaay over used, but let's look at Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."
No where in that passage does it say we need to worry about what will happen to the love we give to people. Unlike money or time or greeting cards, the capacity of our hearts increases with each incriment we give out. Sometimes it hurts but that's okay. In 1 Peter 4:8 we see the command "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins". It's like a drop of water in a vast pond! Who knows what shores the ripples will touch! Love is the only thing in existance that gets bigger with the more you give. I will not be afraid to give it freely and I'm thankful for that point of view.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Love and Service
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
What does it mean to truly serve others? I find it odd that people are taken aback when they encounter an act of genuine service. I was with a friend of mine today and I apologised for not refilling his plate myself when he was at my apartment. His response was, "You're over the top. I haven't encountered anyone who wants to do things like that in a long time. Maybe my Great Grandmother... but no one else."
That made me feel sad. Is service fast becoming a forgotten art? My first instinct is no. For example, as a society today, we have a new appreciation for military service. The men and women who serve our country deserve no less than our utmost respect. They are wonderful examples of ultimate sacrifice but there are many other ways to serve. There's also the pastor, the firefighter, the nurse, the dog walker, the trash collector, the waitress and the barber - just to name a few. These are all jobs of service. In fact, according to the US Department of Treasury, service industries account for 68% of U.S. GDP and four out of five U.S. jobs. That's a lot of us in service! So, it begs the question, why aren't we better at it?
Many people enter the jobs I mentioned above with the desire to help others. Along the way, those motives might change. Sometimes we're compensated with money, other services or the knowledge that someone owes us a debt. Does it still count as service if we're compensated in some way? I think it still counts. Compensation for services rendered doesn't change the act but it might change the motive. Even volunteering has changed in recent years. When you ask the average high school or college student why they've volunteered recently, you'll hear all kinds of responses. Volunteer service is almost as important on a CV or application as past job experience or grades. Volunteerism is "popular" and even considered "trendy" in some circles. There are more ways to volunteer today than there were 10 years ago and, according to the U.S. Economic News Release, more people volunteer every day. In short, more people are working in service, more people are volunteering and the numbers are increasing all the time. This is all very reassuring, but why is my friend surprised when I want to serve him in my home?
Jesus surprised the disciples when he washed their feet (John 13:1-17). Of course, Simon Peter protested the idea that his Lord should do this but Jesus corrected him. This act of service was meant to be an example for how we should all serve each other. No one is above serving his fellow man and true service should come from love. 1 Peter 1:22 says "Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart". I think the difference is love.
The bible mentions four kinds of love: Eros, Storge, Phileo, and Agape. Of course, we all know Eros. That's everywhere. It's on the TV, it's in a magazine, it's on the street. It BELONGS in the marriage bed but that's a whole other blog post. Phileo is for our friends and Agape is that supreme love that comes from God. We can and should strive for Agape for our fellow man. Storge is a little less discussed. Storge is what we are encouraged to have for our fellow man. It is a supportive love that I think comes out of practicing Phileo and working towards Agape. Over and over in scripture we are implored to love one another. True service is the ultimate expression of love. When we refill our friends plate, when we open the door for a stranger, when we clear the neighbor's driveway of snow - we are saying I love you. I want to encourage you all to serve, and love, each other today. In big ways, in small ways, in expected and unexpected ways, serve and be served. Love and be loved.
Philippians 2:1-4 ESV
What does it mean to truly serve others? I find it odd that people are taken aback when they encounter an act of genuine service. I was with a friend of mine today and I apologised for not refilling his plate myself when he was at my apartment. His response was, "You're over the top. I haven't encountered anyone who wants to do things like that in a long time. Maybe my Great Grandmother... but no one else."
That made me feel sad. Is service fast becoming a forgotten art? My first instinct is no. For example, as a society today, we have a new appreciation for military service. The men and women who serve our country deserve no less than our utmost respect. They are wonderful examples of ultimate sacrifice but there are many other ways to serve. There's also the pastor, the firefighter, the nurse, the dog walker, the trash collector, the waitress and the barber - just to name a few. These are all jobs of service. In fact, according to the US Department of Treasury, service industries account for 68% of U.S. GDP and four out of five U.S. jobs. That's a lot of us in service! So, it begs the question, why aren't we better at it?
Many people enter the jobs I mentioned above with the desire to help others. Along the way, those motives might change. Sometimes we're compensated with money, other services or the knowledge that someone owes us a debt. Does it still count as service if we're compensated in some way? I think it still counts. Compensation for services rendered doesn't change the act but it might change the motive. Even volunteering has changed in recent years. When you ask the average high school or college student why they've volunteered recently, you'll hear all kinds of responses. Volunteer service is almost as important on a CV or application as past job experience or grades. Volunteerism is "popular" and even considered "trendy" in some circles. There are more ways to volunteer today than there were 10 years ago and, according to the U.S. Economic News Release, more people volunteer every day. In short, more people are working in service, more people are volunteering and the numbers are increasing all the time. This is all very reassuring, but why is my friend surprised when I want to serve him in my home?
Jesus surprised the disciples when he washed their feet (John 13:1-17). Of course, Simon Peter protested the idea that his Lord should do this but Jesus corrected him. This act of service was meant to be an example for how we should all serve each other. No one is above serving his fellow man and true service should come from love. 1 Peter 1:22 says "Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart". I think the difference is love.
The bible mentions four kinds of love: Eros, Storge, Phileo, and Agape. Of course, we all know Eros. That's everywhere. It's on the TV, it's in a magazine, it's on the street. It BELONGS in the marriage bed but that's a whole other blog post. Phileo is for our friends and Agape is that supreme love that comes from God. We can and should strive for Agape for our fellow man. Storge is a little less discussed. Storge is what we are encouraged to have for our fellow man. It is a supportive love that I think comes out of practicing Phileo and working towards Agape. Over and over in scripture we are implored to love one another. True service is the ultimate expression of love. When we refill our friends plate, when we open the door for a stranger, when we clear the neighbor's driveway of snow - we are saying I love you. I want to encourage you all to serve, and love, each other today. In big ways, in small ways, in expected and unexpected ways, serve and be served. Love and be loved.
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