Serving Christ as a family is a priority in our house. One of our activities is volunteering at a local soup kitchen. The job of setting silverware is equally matched to our children’s evolving capabilities . . . or so I thought. I soon learned, however, that I was severely underestimating their gifts as well as their understanding of Christ.
Missing the Obvious
Leaving the soup kitchen one night, we happened across a group of people from various walks of life. One member of the group stood out—an older man in a wheelchair who sat in silence as he stared up into the sky. My four-year-old son asked a lot of questions about this man, questions I could not answer. I was more interested in retreating to the safety of our car. But as we started to cross the street, my son stopped and ran back, placing one of his most beloved toys in the man’s lap. When I asked him why he gave his toy away, he replied, “He looked sad, and Jesus doesn’t want people to be sad.”
Recognizing Christ
Preoccupied with teaching my children how to serve, I forgot why we serve. Our four-year-old son reminded me that our focus in serving Christ is to love his people. It’s about showing the compassion of Christ to those who need it most. Jesus showed that compassion to Legion, a social outcast forced to live on the outskirts of civilization. Through miraculous healing, Christ freed Legion, requesting in return that he tell his family about the Lord’s mercy (Mark 5:1-20). One of the greatest gifts we can extend in the name of Christ is his gift of mercy. It’s imperative to recognize that Christ loves every one of his children, even the social outcasts: the sick, the homeless, the addicts, the inmates. Sometimes we have to remove our social prejudices and see things with the simplicity of a child’s perspective. |L
Deirdre Catlett is the founder of Youth Mission Challenge, a non-profit organization focused on educating and engaging children in the importance and need of mission work around the world. Deirdre lives in Maine with her husband and three children.
