I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. (Titus 3:8)
He realized he was going to have to lead by example, but it didn’t thrill him at all. When he’d taken on the interim role of youth director, he had pictured lazy mornings at the river and fun afternoons at the amusement park. So, when he was asked to schedule service days for the teens, he felt as disappointed as they did. Besides, he deserved a summer break too. (The teens’ rolled eyes didn’t help.)
So, he decided to find the easiest projects he could, scheduling a series of yardwork days in a senior-living neighborhood. Surely this task wouldn’t take long, and they could get back to the real things of summer. Halfway through that first hot afternoon, he surveyed the scene. Already, rakes were strewn about and iPhones were out. He noticed the sweet lady whose yard they were clearing watching from her window. Suddenly, thoughts of his own grandmother resurfaced, and he remembered how she struggled with loneliness after his grandfather had died. He decided to invite her out to chat with the students.
Two hours later, they were still spellbound by this fascinating woman. And when she went inside to make lemonade for them, he noticed how quickly they got to the task of clearing the yard, iPhones forgotten. He followed their example, now genuinely motivated to show this woman his love.
Allow God to open your eyes to the people around you.
Elizabeth Rhyno is passionate about seeing people spiritually formed in worship. Wife to Scott and mom to three awesome teens, Elizabeth sees life as a joy journey.
© 2019 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
