Caleb came home from Seminary one morning a while back and shared a little thought with us.
"Service is like peeing your pants. Others may see what you have done, but only you get that warm feeling!"
The inspirational blogger (Janet)
issued a challenge to write about service. The deadline was today.... I missed it.. but that's ok. What struck me was her sentence about what isn't written down will be forgotten. So I write.
There are so many people trying to give service at Christmas that sometimes it overlaps. I believe that no good deed is ever a mistake. There was a time that gifts were left for our family on our doorstep in a year where things had been rather lean... We always wanted to do that for someone else. With discussion we found it difficult to figure out how to approach finding a deserving recipient. Discussion wasn't necessary. The opportunity presented itself. A friend lost his job the week before Christmas. Although we weren't in a great position, our Christmas was finished and we wanted to do what we could. The parents said they were fine and not to worry. So on the 23rd, we kidnapped the kids and took them to the D.I. We told them to find an item to secretly give to each other and that they could find something to give to their parents. It would be on us. The older teenager went with Caleb to the dollar store down the street to pick up some surprises for his little siblings. I was to pick them up in 30 minutes to pay for their purchases.
As we left the D. I. I had 6 children in tow and we were going through the checkout. The lady was friendly and when it came time for her to tell me the total, she smiled and said, "Merry Christmas". I said, "Merry Christmas" and waited. She smiled and repeated, "Merry Christmas" I asked for the total. And the reply, "it's been taken care of by someone today"
Someone had arranged to cover the purchases at that till for the afternoon. I mean, if you're already having to do your shopping on the day before Christmas eve and you're shopping at the D.I. to have your purchases covered was very sweet. But I was feeling a little confused. This was supposed to be my service and now I hadn't really done anything, the service fairy had.
We all piled into our old VW vanagon and drove to the dollar store to pick up the big boys. We all went in. I paid for the very few things they had decided on and still felt a little like there had to be something more we could do. When we returned to the van, I discovered to my delight and dismay, an envelope on my seat! (yes my seat.. no point locking my door, when the other doors don't lock!) an envelope filled with cash (a wad of $20's), written on the front - Pay it forward if and when you can. I must have looked like the sort that needed it... with now 8 children piling out of an old VW vanagon the day before Christmas eve in front of the dollar store, but I was the one trying to give the service.
As we returned to my house to wrap their finds I found myself shaken! Someone was out to thwart my service efforts!! How dare they! But then my children were more in tune than I was. While the others were wrapping their gifts, they reminded me that maybe this service fairy was just using me as a tool. Since we didn't need the cash, or to have our purchases paid for, it was a way to help our friend even better. We left the envelope with our cash added to it on the seat of their car when we dropped off their children. We had been the delivery fairy... and were honestly able to tell the parents that 'WE' had not been responsible!
and what of self serving service??
In Texas, many moons ago we had some friends... I'll call them Shumways. They had a cool spanish hacienda type house. It had this problem though. When it rained as it does in TX, the down pouring would flood the front entry courtyard area. With extremely clay soil.. it didn't soak away very quickly and so it would be a swampy flooded entry much of the winter rain time. After picking up Shumz for Seminary and watching him slog through the wetness or we would have to wade up to the front door... We took it upon ourselves to arrive one Christmas evening bearing gifts. We had a grand visit and fun evening, as was to be expected anytime one visits with Shumways. (I think we even brought goodies) What gifts could we possibly bring that would make me write such an ordeal up under the guise of service?? We each brought them a large stepping stone brick wrapped in brown paper bags!
So as I said... self serving service... who were we really giving the bricks to? The Shumways? or ourselves so we didn't get wet coming to the door? However, either it stopped raining in TX, or I soon left for Ricks (BYU-ID -for those who know it nowadays), or the bricks didn't solve the problem anyway, because I don't even remember if they were used! Nor do I truly know how the Shumways felt after the crazy Christmas brick elves left. (probably that we were a few bricks shy of a full load!)
So.. as for feeling that warm feeling of service trickling down my leg.... The kids and I are ever on the lookout for an opportunity.
