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THE MASTER AND HIS SERVANT
“Who among
you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or
tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your
place at the table?’ Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare
supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and
drink; later you may eat and drink?’ Do you thank the slave for
doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all
that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we
have done only what we ought to have done!’ ”
My mom has hosted several wedding showers
over the years. She loves to participate in shower games like
Mystery Kitchen Utensil, Guess that Spice and Name that White
Ingredient.
One popular game at showers is for each
guest to write a piece of marital advice for the newlyweds on a
keepsake index card to be incorporated later into a memory book.
After everyone has written down advice, the bride-to-be reads
the cards out loud for all the guests to hear.
At one shower, my mom sat listening with
all her friends, waiting for her advice to be read. After being
married more than 30 years, she was one of the more “seasoned”
women in the group, and she was really enjoying hearing the
younger women’s ideas. She was getting a good laugh out of
advice about how to treat future mothers-in-law, how to get an
unwilling husband to do just about anything by cooking his
favorite treats, and how to appear like a good housekeeper
without trying too hard.
Finally, her advice was read: “To love is
to serve” was all she had written on her card.
The new bride scrunched up her face and
asked out loud, “What is that supposed to mean?” Hoping for
some kind of lighthearted humor, she was caught off guard by the
sage encouragement.
In an era when couples remove “To love,
honor, and obey” from their vows, this kind of gentle guidance
is met with special resistance.
I appreciate this simple reminder when I
struggle against my own independence in relationships. Putting
oneself aside in service to another, be it a husband, a parent
or especially God, is necessary to honor the one being served.
How great a love is that?
Dear God, help me to surrender humbly to
honor you. Be present in my actions of service and assistance to
others in your kingdom. Help me to look past myself to see the
needs of others. Amen
Jennifer Worrel
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