Serving others is a big part of living the Christian life. It’s no surprise that Christians top the charities list with hospitals, aid to orphans and widows, senior centers, hospices, shelters, and aid to immigrants. Jesus taught us to love others above ourselves, and that’s part of our mission in life.
MY PSALM 328 SERVING
Heavenly Father, Precious Lord, Loving Savior
I offer myself to You as Your servant.
I know You have prepared me
From the beginning of the world
To live in this very time and place
To accomplish Your will
To further Your Kingdom
For I have answered the call
To serve You and live my life for Your Glory.
Keep me strong in Your Word,
Open my ears to Your teaching,
Continue to disciple me and teach me Your ways.
Bless me with encouraging members
Of Your cloud of witnesses,
Those who counsel, who sharpen me as steel
Sharpens steel,
Who admonish
Who share the burdens to keep my yoke light.
Strengthen me in my prayer life,
For the battle may be hard and long.
Give me insight to help those who struggle,
Provide me bodily strength to accomplish Your tasks
And wisdom to make the choices
According to Your guidance and will.
Use me, as Esther, for such a time as this.
Provide opportunities to serve You
And the power and resources to accomplish
What it is that You plan for me to do.
Use me as a light to this world,
For I know and love Jesus
Whom You sent at The Light
To change this world’s darkness
To the Light of Your Glory.
But most of all,
Help me to not work in the flesh
To satisfy my needs,
As if I run ahead of You
And seek only my self-interest.
Keep my motives pure,
For I serve You only because You have loved me,
And I strive only to bring You glory.
Humble me when pride lurks,
Teach me where I lack understanding,
Grant me unrest until I rest only in You.
Give me patience when at first I can’t see progress,
Allow me to fail when You need to teach me,
Show me Your mercy when I fall
Or strive only in my power
Rather than Your direction.
Send me where You want to use me.
Provide the Godincidence encounters
And make clear Your directions
For I long to serve You and Your people
To Your honor and glory.
In Jesus’ Name and for His sake and the Kingdom’s.
Amen.
Have a good day, and look for places where you can bring joy to a chaotic world. Bake cookies for firemen. Send cards to nursing homes and children’s hospitals. Take a meal to a shut in, and better yet, share that mealtime with someone who always eats alone. You are blessed to be a blessing, and as my neighbor says, we are too blessed to be stressed. By bringing joy to others, we too will smile. It’s hard to give to others with a frown or grumpy face! It’ll make you day and someone else’s too.
A career teacher, with forty years of teaching language arts/English, Betty Jackson enjoys wordsmithing, writing, and reading as a vocation and avocation.Retirement is her "age of frosting," a chance to pursue postponed hobbies with gusto. She especially sends kudos to the Space Coast Writers Guild members for their encouragement and advice. Her five books, It's a God Thing!, Job Loss: What's Next? A Step by Step Action Plan, and Bless You Bouquets: A Memoir, And God Chose Joseph: A Christmas Story, and Rocking Chair Porch: Summers at Grandma's are available at Amazon.com. Ms. Jackson is available to speak to local groups and to offer her books at discount for fundraising purposes at her discretion. She and her husband soon celebrate their 47th anniversary, and have lived in New York, New Jersey, Iowa, and now the paradise of Palm Bay, Florida. Their two grown children and daughter-in-love, all orchestra musicians, and our beautiful granddaughters Kaley and Emily live nearby. Hobbies, and probably future topics on her blog: gardening, symphonic music (especially supporting the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra as a volunteer and proud parent of a violinist, a cellist, and an oboist), singing, book clubs, and co-teaching a weekly small-group Bible study for seniors. She volunteers and substitute teaches at Covenant Christian School, and serves as a board member of the Best Yet Set senior group at church. Foundationally, she daily enjoys God's divine appointments called Godincidences, which show God's providence and loving kindness.