The Masterpiece
Fall is here! Well, and pretty much over. For those of us living far enough north to experience it, snow is on the way my friends. This season brought our youth group once again to acts of service. For the past several years we have raked the yards of the widows, elderly, injured, and pretty much any one in our church who cannot do it themselves. This year we again had the opportunity to do the same. I am so proud of them! They showed up in the rain, in the cold, in the dark, in the frigid wind, whatever the conditions, with rakes in hand. They came early and they stayed late. All to bless others. They are an amazing bunch of teens!
I am not sure they see the big picture yet. As leaders, we schedule the yards and houses and dates and times, and pass the info down to the youth. I don't know if they see it as just a chore to be done. Something that we "force" upon them. Do they sigh when we aren't looking? Do they wish they had more homework that night so they wouldn't have to show up? Do they feel like they give of themselves something more than just leaf removal? Do they truly see how their small act of kindness brings blessings to others and a smile to the face of God? I am not sure.
Sometimes we all just get so caught up in our own "stuff", that anything that doesn't benefit us gets pushed to the side. Life is crazy busy, and lets be honest, who wants to finish your own to do list and then tackle someone else's. Pretty much none of us. But that in itself, is the beauty of it. Because, we feel like we don't have time, we then get to decide on how to spend it. And when we sacrifice something that is so dear to us, time, we become better people. We start to see that there is such a bigger picture. One we will never be able to completely see from edge to edge. We are only able to see a snapshot. A very small portion of the the whole. Its only when our time, links with others time, that it makes an amazing masterpiece!
The snapshots show:
A mother who has been up for several days and nights with a colicky baby, while her husband serves our country over seas.
An elderly man who has been forgotten in a nursing home, who spends his days looking out a window remembering the happier days of his younger years.
The father who is out of work and is so desperately looking for a way to provide for his family.
It shows:
The widows.
The orphans.
The weak.
The broken.
The forgotten.
The snapshot also shows us ourselves. People, who have for so long, been selfish with our time, but have suddenly caught a glimpse of all we have to be thankful for in our lives this season. People who realize we have it within our ability to shine a little love and happiness, in the form of time, into the life of someone else. We realize how with little effort we could go read a story to someone who needs some company. We can rock a baby and let her mama get a few hours of much needed sleep. We can bring a dinner to those who may not have any. We can rake the yards of those who cannot rake it themselves.
The youth this year didn't just beautify some yards with their services. They have truly enriched their own lives. And whether they realize this yet or not, I hope that one day they will see, that they have added some beautiful brushstrokes to the masterpiece.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
I am not sure they see the big picture yet. As leaders, we schedule the yards and houses and dates and times, and pass the info down to the youth. I don't know if they see it as just a chore to be done. Something that we "force" upon them. Do they sigh when we aren't looking? Do they wish they had more homework that night so they wouldn't have to show up? Do they feel like they give of themselves something more than just leaf removal? Do they truly see how their small act of kindness brings blessings to others and a smile to the face of God? I am not sure.
Sometimes we all just get so caught up in our own "stuff", that anything that doesn't benefit us gets pushed to the side. Life is crazy busy, and lets be honest, who wants to finish your own to do list and then tackle someone else's. Pretty much none of us. But that in itself, is the beauty of it. Because, we feel like we don't have time, we then get to decide on how to spend it. And when we sacrifice something that is so dear to us, time, we become better people. We start to see that there is such a bigger picture. One we will never be able to completely see from edge to edge. We are only able to see a snapshot. A very small portion of the the whole. Its only when our time, links with others time, that it makes an amazing masterpiece!
The snapshots show:
A mother who has been up for several days and nights with a colicky baby, while her husband serves our country over seas.
An elderly man who has been forgotten in a nursing home, who spends his days looking out a window remembering the happier days of his younger years.
The father who is out of work and is so desperately looking for a way to provide for his family.
It shows:
The widows.
The orphans.
The weak.
The broken.
The forgotten.
The snapshot also shows us ourselves. People, who have for so long, been selfish with our time, but have suddenly caught a glimpse of all we have to be thankful for in our lives this season. People who realize we have it within our ability to shine a little love and happiness, in the form of time, into the life of someone else. We realize how with little effort we could go read a story to someone who needs some company. We can rock a baby and let her mama get a few hours of much needed sleep. We can bring a dinner to those who may not have any. We can rake the yards of those who cannot rake it themselves.
The youth this year didn't just beautify some yards with their services. They have truly enriched their own lives. And whether they realize this yet or not, I hope that one day they will see, that they have added some beautiful brushstrokes to the masterpiece.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
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