Mar 14 - DAY 30 - Shaped for Serving God

Day 30

Shaped for Serving God

I searched for a man among them

who would repair the wall and

stand in the gap before Me

on behalf of the land

Ezekiel 22:30a HCSB

My mom is a nurse. When I was a teenager, she started the Hospice in Wilmington, North Carolina.

At first the organization was very small – my mom and two part-time nurses. With little to no revenues, she was practically volunteering her time, rather than drawing much of a salary. She’d always “take call” on the holidays, so her equally underpaid staff could count on time with their families. She modeled priorities and sacrifice.

My dad modeled the blessing of service too. For twenty-five years, my father became my mother’s chief volunteer. For example, he built a shed in our back yard. Why? To store hospital beds – old and used and donated from the local hospital. We’d frequently be eating dinner when my dad would say, “We’re going to deliver a hospital bed tonight.”

Now what do you think my response was?

•      I’d whine because those cast iron beds were heavy.
•      I’d whine about having plans (which were never much more than playing basketball in the backyard and watching TV).
•      I’d whine because dad would take forever to set up the bed just right and then visit lovingly with hurting strangers whose loved one was dying.
•      And then I’d whine one more time about having to go back to the same old house – sometimes only a few days later – to pick up the same old, heavy bed.

Service was a terrible inconvenience to a lazy teenager.

But I thank God for those days!

My parents taught me what life was all about.

Yes, I whined a little, but I quickly learned it did no good. They ignored it! In our house, there was simply no excuse for not doing the right thing.

We’ll talk for the next few days about spiritual gifts. God created you with unique talents … for the specific purpose of blessing the kingdom of God. But here’s the greatest gift of all …

Becoming a person

that stands in the gap

and simply says, “Yes!”

In Christ’s Love,

a yes-man,

thanks to my parents