Serving isn’t always fun and it isn’t always easy, but it is always rewarding when it is done with a heart to serve God. This was an experience some of our volunteers had this past weekend and I wanted to take a few moments to point out a beautiful picture of the church in the process.

Saturday was a normally scheduled workday with a local ministry called “Widows Harvest”. They minister to several aging widows in Chattanooga and depend on volunteers to help with many of the physical needs they have around their homes.

This particular workday was scheduled to help a wonderful lady whose yard had gotten out of control. So much out of control, that she had been reported to the city and was going to be fined if she didn’t get it cleaned up. It was a huge project and would likely have been spread over a couple of days if the city wasn’t expecting something to be done now.

Several volunteers from Journey showed up and cleaned up the yard in record time. That in and of itself is a wonderful picture of servanthood, but that was only part of the story.

After weeks of almost no rain at all, it started raining…and raining…and raining. Phone calls were being made to find out if the workday was still on. I know some had to be hoping the day would be canceled or at least the rain would let up, but it wasn’t and it didn’t.

I am so encouraged every time I see followers of Jesus from our church step up in difficult circumstances to love and serve others. The smiles you can see on the faces of youth and adults as they picked up trash and yard waste in the rain is a beautiful picture of what it means to follow the example of Jesus.

It’s moments like these that I am reminded that Jesus is honored when we must sacrifice our own comforts to serve someone else.

I’m also reminded that serving in these moments is received by Jesus as if we were serving Him personally.

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:40 (ESV)

Thank you to everyone that gave of their time to serve someone in need.
Serving isn’t always fun and it isn’t always easy, but it is always rewarding when it is done with a heart to serve God.

Where can you begin serving?

Pastor Mark