Service with a Smile

How was your weekend? For me, this is a loaded question. Sometimes Saturday is my worst day of the week. This last Saturday, I realized why.

All week long, I look forward to Saturday. I plan/daydream about how I’ll spend my day.

While my four year old and two year old gleefully jump on my bed at 6:45 AM, I plan how I will sleep in on Saturday.

While I spoon feed my sweet seven month old, my own stomach growling, I daydream about the big salad with artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes and feta cheese that I will fix for myself first and then eat slowly, on Saturday.

While I try unsuccessfully to get my two year old to relax in her bed after lunch, I think about how I’m going to take a nice, long nap on Saturday.

While my four year old yells to me yet again, “Mom! Mom! Look at me!! I’m doing my circus act! Look at me till I say, ‘Stop looking!!!'” I envision just zoning out and staring at the wall for an hour or two, on Saturday.

While I’m washing out bibs at 9:30 PM, I imagine the next blog post that I’ll have a chance to work on, or maybe I’ll finally be able to start exercising and I’ll go for a jog down my favorite dirt road.

Then Saturday hits. All three children are still here, with all their needs. My husband, who does a tremendous amount of work around home in addition to his paying job and long commute, needs to take care of a few necessities, like getting a haircut and finally getting his glasses adjusted after the fifth or sixth time that little hands have knocked them off his face.

And so my plans (wishes? daydreams?) go up in smoke. And I am not happy. My mood deteriorates. I want to throw a two year old tantrum.

Before the kicking and screaming start, the Holy Spirit whispers a verse: The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.

Look at him, my Counselor says to me. His life was not about ordering things to suit himself, though He is the Creator of the universe. His life was not about making others serve him, though He is the King of kings.

It was about responding to the needs of those around him, feeding the hungry, healing the hurts, spending time with those who needed extra attention. It was about doing humble, thankless tasks for others. (John 13:1-8) It was about showing little ones that they were important to Him. (Matthew 19:13-15)

It was about fulfilling His Father’s plan for His life. And what was this plan?

The Son of Man came to serve ME.

Since my own service to others falls short, since my attitude can be all wrong, I need a Savior.

He served me by being that Savior. As He responded to others’ needs, showered them with love, and performed humble tasks without complaint, he did so knowing that I would need him to live this life of perfect service that I could never live. So that through faith, this life of perfect service could be credited to me. And that is exactly what God the Father does, as if Jesus’ track record were my own.

And there is more. The complete verse reads: The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28)

He served me by dying for me. He died to pay for my failures of deed and attitude. They are gone.

He gives me a fresh start, and new opportunities to serve. Opportunities to thank Him…and, in some very small way, to become more like Him. While I carry out these tasks for Him, I don’t have to sing the same old “just can’t wait till Saturday” tune. I can sing a new song. I can revel in each and every chance to show my love for Him. Every early morning. Every meal. Every call for my attention. Every “menial” task.

He has given them all new meaning. I am doing just what he wants me to do. I am serving.