"Who sent you?"

The team of Chefs and volunteers that turned Central Union Mission Men's Shelter into a restaurant on May 23, 2016

On Monday we turned Central Union Mission Men’s Shelter into a restaurant. Five Chefs, four courses, and Jesus was all in the mix! It’s always a blessing to serve; it’s extremely rewarding and each time I learn something new and experience God differently. Serving is truly a form of worship and when we allow ourselves to be free and just relish in that space, we get an opportunity to see how HE moves in the hearts of those serving, the appreciation of those being served, and the glory HE gets from our service.

Here's what I experienced on Monday:

The hearts of those serving -

• Early in the day Chef Rock Harper asked that I confirm the number of men to be served. I had originally quoted “just over a hundred” so naturally he wanted to know a more concrete number so that the Chefs could better prepare. Well somehow I totally missed the mark and we would in fact be serving 170 men. I felt like I completely dropped the ball and sent Chef Rock an email; his response? “It's cool though. We aren't Jesus but we have more than 5 loaves and a few fish, we'll make it work!”  What a heart! And I wasn’t surprised by his response; it was a ‘my heart is in the right place and this will work out’ response that comes naturally when you remove YOU and focus on serving God’s people; there’s an assurance that ‘all things will work together’ (Romans 8:28).

The gratitude expressed by those being served –

• The men of the Mission were so grateful. The smiles on their faces as each course was served made my heart melt. After each course, a Chef came out to describe the dish, explain the ingredients, and how it was prepared. As the Chef explained the dish, the men cheered and thanked them from their seats. It’s the little things that go a long way; the subtle ways that say 'you matter' and 'I care' are monumental when serving.

The Glory God gets from our service –

• After serving, one of my best friends called to say how much he enjoyed being there. He went on to say “Sis, I’m not the godliest but I know what God has done for me. I know I need Him.”
• One of my favorite moments was an exchange with one of the men I was blessed to serve Monday night. If I had to guess I’d say he was about sixty-five:
  • Him: “Aye, what church y’all belong to?”
  • Me: “We don’t all belong to the same church, we’re just here serving.”
  • Him: “Oh, what fraternity is it then?”
  • Me: “No fraternity and I’m not with a sorority either.” [I giggled]
  • Him: “Well, what’s the name of y’all’s group?”
  • Me: [laughing]”We don’t have a name, just friends serving together.”
  • Him: “Well who sent you then?”
  • Me: “Jesus”
  • Him: [smiling] “That’s alright with me.”

(Mark 10:45) “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (NKJV)
 

Quick Question.

How will you take care of you today?

Go ahead, read it again (I’ll wait.) Again, how will you take care of you today?  I know, the kids need this and the office needs that but how will you find peace today? I’m not referring to the 20 minutes or so you get in the morning naturally because everyone else is still asleep. And no, the time in the shower doesn’t count – you know, the time you spend pining over your to-do list and weight loss goals, try again.

What intentional time will you make for yourself today?

We easily get lost in the needs of everyone else but we can’t effectively take care of others if we don’t take care of ourselves. Make sure that your tank is full – mentally, spiritually, and physically. Spend time with God, exercise, eat well, and make time to just relax.  (1 Corinthians 6:19 ) “19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (NKJV)

How will you take care of yourself in order to be spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, and physically available to others? It’s not selfish, think of it as preparation to serve others.

An Unexpected Lesson On Love.

Last week I served as “Principal For A Day” at Stephen Decatur Middle School. It’s a yearly initiative to strengthen partnerships between the schools and community leaders, local businesses, and non-profits.

This year marked my fourth serving as Principal and each year has been an enlightening experience. As Principal, I’ve sat in on building planning meetings, observed classroom instruction, been on hall duty, and seen my fair share of lunch duty as well. Each school and experience has been different, all providing a unique perspective on the challenging role of the Principal and the innovative ways in which we can support our local schools.

I arrived at 7:45, was warmly greeted and then whisked away to a meeting with the principal and teachers, quick break, meeting with the principal and parents, class observations, lunch duty, tours, etc.; trust me, the Principal’s job is not easy by any stretch of the imagination. In terms of logistics, the day was quite similar to previous years but the lesson on love was not expected. I’m always amazed by the lessons we learn unexpectedly when we pay attention.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

— (Proverbs 18:21, NKJV)

1.       How do you refer to those you love? The children are referred to as scholars. This is major because a scholar is a distinguished academic, a person who is highly educated or has an aptitude for study. When the Principal, teachers, staff, etc. refer to the students as scholars, they are speaking over their lives. They are reminding the children of what they are capable of and declaring their greatness.

Lesson: Speak life and call things as though they were.

2.       How do you encourage those you love? During a math class observation, a student expressed difficulty in solving a problem. The teacher took the time to walk through the problem further and while doing so asked the scholar to explain where he ran into trouble. The student’s voice was quite low (possibly because there were a few visitors in the room) so the teacher provided encouragement, gently saying, “Share your voice.” Short and sweet but it was enough to remind the scholar that the classroom is a safe place and of the importance of speaking up and being heard.

Lesson: Be gentle with your words.

“The soothing tongue is a tree of life” (Proverbs 15:4, NKJV)

3.       How do you correct those you love? As we transitioned from one meeting to the next, classroom to classroom, etc. there were a few times where students were being a little too loud or not moving quickly enough to make it to their next class in time. The real Principal asked them over gently and reminded them of what they were in school to accomplish. When further discipline was necessary, the Principal explained the course of action.

Lesson: There should always be love, even in correction.

“My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either. It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects” (Hebrews 12:5, MSG)