I just returned from a weekend trip with some really cool Exit 6 students. Exit 6 is a program for the 6th graders at my church. It helps them transition from the children’s ministry to the youth ministry. We went to Cincinnati to explore the Creation Museum, bond as a group, and serve at a homeless shelter. There were many highlights from the trip, but watching the students transition from sixth-graders to servants as we worked at the shelter was one of my favorites.
We made 28 homemade pizzas–chopped the veggies, cooked the meat, etc. Those students jumped right in and worked hard with great attitudes. They helped prepare the meal, serve the meal, and clean up from the meal. They even spent time interacting with people from the shelter. People who didn’t dress like them, look like them, talk like them, or smell like them. They didn’t seem to notice the differences by the time we were finished.
I vividly recall one moment as I stood in a corner and watched them in action. My “Mommy Heart” looked out over the room, noticing the unique personalities shining through as they served, and wished all the other Mommies could have witnessed what I was seeing. They got it–they saw the big picture. They were really serving for the right reasons.
I can’t always say the same thing about myself. I sometimes allow the distractions of my daily details to cloud up the big picture. What about you? When’s the last time you served–like a sixth-grade servant?
