We Are that Someone Else

We were with the Johansons and Amos at Bert’s house last night to do some yard work as part of Wednesday Night Service. Bert is a wheel-chair bound woman who lives alone with her six dogs. An 8 year old neighbor boy named Jacob appears to help her around the house. We got connected with Bert through Workers on Wheels and signed up to do some yard work- mowing, trimming, clipping bushes, etc. I had ran by Bert’s house on Tuesday to check it out to see how much work we’d be in for and at first glance it didn’t appear too rough. When we got there last night I had failed to take into account the second backyard- where the grass and the weeds were over 2 feet tall! So Amos got to working on the lawn, James and I and our sons Riley and Jamison trimmed and pulled weeds in the front. It was a fun night and I got a first hand look at how interesting and challenging it can be to engage my 5 year old son Riley in this whole idea of serving. It be a challenge to get him to pick up his toys, so helping him understand why we would help someone we had just met that night provided a valuable opportunity. As we were working, I asked if Riley could see that Bert was in a wheelchair. He said yes. I shared how that meant she couldn’t do what we were doing by herself. And then my son said what I say almost every day of my life: someone else can help her. And I shared that tonight, we are that someone else. As corny as it seems, we then reviewed the memory verse (Matthew 5:16) we’ve been working on from Hillcrest’s Family Time Guide right there in the lawn with his made up actions and everything. He was a typical 5 year old boy after that- some work, some play, lots of activity, but that moment captures the essence of why we are doing what we are doing. I am not a great parent by any means. I mess up all the time and I pray that the effects aren’t too rough on my boys. But for a moment last night, I was caught up in the perfect union of why we set out to do this- serving others, with others, and living out the scriptures the best that we can.