Last night I hosted a going away party for one of my very close friends. He will be leaving in two days for basic training, and before the year is up, he will most likely be deployed to Iraq. Throwing this party made me reflect a lot on what it means to serve others. Yes, it was great to spend the night with some of my friends, but with all the cleaning, setup, baking, and take-down, it was also a lot of work. By the end of the night my head hurt, my feet ached, and I had to hold my eyes open with toothpicks. Amazingly, though, I went to bed feeling better than I had in a long time; although you never would have been able to guess it by looking at me. In my opinion, this was an act of real service--I did something draining and uncomfortable for the benefit of someone else.
Real service does not make us feel great. In fact, it usually leaves us feeling (and looking) like crap. It puts all of our abilities to the test, and it slowly weans us into reality. Yet, no matter how much it hurts, there is a certain satisfaction in helping others. Something deep inside you warms and crawls to life--your hearth fires are stoked. It all sounds so fluffy, but there is a certain fluffiness about it. It is that deep sense of hope. You stop and wonder, "Wow. I just did that, and if I can, anyone can."
We have to share this world. Why not make it easier and better for everyone? All it takes is one person, one more snowflake to start the avalanche. What have you done today? What can you still do?
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