We’ve learned a lot walking through the Art of Neighboring message series….mainly, the BLESS acronym: Begin with prayer. Listen well. Eat together. And this last week, we talked about what it means to Serve.

Jill Britz shared her thoughts with us…

I’d Rather Not, Thanks.

Maybe “serve” isn’t a wrecked word for you.
Maybe you don’t think of raking an old lady’s yard for way too long or the admonition to serve your husband so he loves you back.

Maybe, too, you’re not the sort who has trouble sleeping at night, whose anxiety hasn’t jacked up in the last 12 months since the world fell apart.
Maybe your world never falls apart.
Maybe depression has never crept under your skin.
Maybe you always get the best parking space.

I don’t now much about life, but I do understand about myself that I sincerely dislike the word “serve”, but equally I hate feeling unable to get out of my own head.  And I think one serves the other. (I promise that wasn’t on purpose.)

When I am at my worst, I still have to do the dishes.  When I am overwhelmed, I still need to feed my people something other than chips.  When I can’t see straight for despair, some child in my house still needs to tell me a story.   

A Mercy of Small Things. 

Jesus knew from His very own heart we would have much trouble in this world.  And He gave us things to do as part of our relief.  We serve brownies at a funeral, after all.

So maybe serving doesn’t excite you. 
Me, neither.  But I know tying tiny shoes & listening to my neighbor talk about coyotes makes me a little less me-centered alongside giving some of me to another.  That feels nice. 

And if that’s serving, well.  Maybe not a bad life hack after all.