Serving Others - Serving God

Daily Gratitude Year 6-Day 307: Today, I am grateful we can serve God by serving others.

Living out Christ's command to love God passionately and to to love our neighbors... all of them... is something that takes thought and intentional living. It is a common theme here at  Daily Gratitude, because I need the constant reminder. I want to stay on track and on task... but my train so easily derails when I get tired, overwhelmed or irritated. 

When counting our own blessings, do we see that there are others in need? I hope so. 

Serving others is serving our King. Loving others is loving our King. Putting pride aside to help, honor, lift up or help another is in the footsteps of our King. How can we not get excited about serving? 

Frankly, I get tired. Don't we all? 

Still, when we reach within and focus on making our hands and our feet the hands and feet of Jesus, we are encouraged and inspired to do a little more and go a little further to reach out to another human (or animal) that is hurting. 

There are no nail scars in my hands and feet. In light of that reality, I want to celebrate opportunities to serve and embrace them. Not with reluctance, but with joy.  

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ -Matthew 25:40

This month I have to decide if I will commit to Dressember again. By wearing a dress every day in December, I have the opportunity to raise awareness and some funds to help organizations battling human trafficking, saving lives and helping to rebuild the broken. Last January, I decided I might simply donate to someone else's campaign this year. Today, I sit with December less than a month away, and I find that this scripture is tugging at my heart. 

The workers are few and the needs are great. The organizations served by Dressember are the real deal. Legitimately going into the darkest, scariest places to rescue those who have no voice and no choice. Many are the children of the fatherless where poverty leads to tough and terrible choices. Opportunities too good to be true, usually are. Many are tricked into the sex-slave trades and then have no way to escape. 

I think I am going to wear a dress again. Sheila Graber... I need to get signed up. It keeps me in prayer for these victims all month long on a daily basis. Their stories become more real. 

Today, I am grateful we can serve God by serving others.