My wife’s grandmother was moved to an assisted living facility a few years after we were married. Her husband had died, and the family felt she just needed a little extra help. She was relatively healthy and had lots of friends there, and had freedom to come as go as she pleased, but it gave the family peace of mind that she had help when she needed it as well as regular companionship.
For many years she was still able to drive, but her car was having problems and she couldn’t drive it, her mechanic was having trouble finding the problem. So on one of our visits, I brought a change of clothes and some tools and told her I was going to look at it. I did a little research and discovered a number of people had a similar problem that an inexpensive sensor would fix, and it did!
I was so glad to deliver her the keys to her car and inform her that the car was fixed. She was elated! With tears in her eyes, she gave me a big Grandma Smart hug and profusely thanked me. In fact, she continued to thank me for the 20 years after that, she re-lived that moment every single time we visited… tears and all!
For me it wasn’t a big deal, but for her, she felt I loved her enough to spend my valuable time to try to fix something that was of great need to her. To her, it was the world.
In a world, where talk is cheap and follow through rare, actually doing something for someone means a lot. All of us have been let down so routinely, with empty promises of what people will do for us, that on the rare occasion when someone follows through, it means a lot.
People love to have things done for them, to be served. Taking time out of our life and giving it to someone else is one of our most valuable commodities and we all know that! Which is why we are so touched when someone does!
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: Psalm 100:1-2 KJV
God loves it when we serve Him. It brings him joy. It’s a way we show Him our love and appreciation. So as the Psalmist challenges people of God to serve, he takes it one step further with “do so gladly.”
What if we considered all we do in our lives as serving God and found the ability to do so gladly. Can you imagine how our work, our home, our ministries would take on a new dynamic dimension if we saw them all as opportunities to serve and bring joy to God.
Dr. Ronald J. Barnes Jr.
President/CEO
December 13, 2022
