“What do you need?” she asked without hesitation. Not that she didn’t already have other obligations. But that’s what my friend does.
“I don’t need anything,” I replied. “I know we’ve seen each other lots recently, but I felt led to meet for coffee again.” Not that I drink coffee.
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| photo courtesy of Hans Braxmeier via Pixabay.com |
We made our arrangements, and it wasn’t until we had both hung up our telephones that it crossed my mind what an oddity my friend is in this busy world. She is busy alright. Just as busy as everyone, it seems. Maybe busier than some. She’s a pretty busy person. But my friend isn’t busy getting. My friend is busy giving.
So it wasn’t out of the norm for her in the least to immediately ask me what I needed. After all, she has a servant’s heart. And she doesn’t have just any old servant’s heart. For there are plenty of people who serve in this world, but not everybody serves like she does. My friend doesn’t just serve anyone. She serves the Lord, and she serves her neighbor – no matter how near her neighbor is, no matter how far.
She has a heart to give, an ear to listen, a mouth to encourage, and hands to extend. She doesn’t do this in a flashy way. In fact, she is the epitome of quiet and humble. And she’s not perfect, as she will be the first to confess. She’ll even tell you she’s far from it. But she’s not far from the Lord. For in her longing to show her love to Him, she shows her love to His Creation – whether to those on two legs or to those on four with tails.
How strange it is in this incredibly busy, so often self-absorbed world to hear someone cut right past the social possibilities of my phone call to arrive at the question that we all should keep always in mind.
How can I love you, Lord? How can I serve you, Lord?
And how can I serve you, my friend?
” “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them,you did it to Me.’” Matthew 25:34-40 NASB