"Prepared In Advance"

There are many ways to serve.

Gonda Building Interior, Mayo Clinic

Some read to children while others teach adults to read for themselves.

Some serve meals at shelters for the homeless while others deliver meals-on-wheels to shut-ins.

Some lead from a pulpit while others serve by work-place example.

Some serve on the front lines and others with donations.

We sometimes elevate some forms of service over others. The service of Church leaders might seem to be more important than spending time answering phones at a local nonprofit. However, I'm thinking that our human value hierarchy does not match-up with God's.

Gonda Building Mayo Clinic

Getting people to medical appointments has been something I've chosen to do lately.  I pick people up, take them to the appointment and get them back home. Pretty easy.  And, on the surface, it certainly doesn't seem to be part of any great and magnificent spiritual plan.

A few days ago, another opportunity presented itself.   It was a last minute call and it was a distance that would prove time consuming as well.  Admittedly, the specifics promoted a negative response.  But, there'd be no story if I'd said no, right?

It was still dark when he trudged through a newly fallen inch of snow to reach the car.  We needed to leave early because the appointment was at 8AM and it would take nearly 2 hours to get there. Pleasantries were exchanged, WAZE was initiated for directions and we began what would be a mostly quiet ride.  It seemed my charge was deep in thought this morning.

The appointment would take a couple of hours. I came prepared with coffee and a book and found a comfortable place to wait in the lounge.

The return trip was much different.  Suddenly, there were discussions and even laughter.  Never wanting to pry, the rider nevertheless was more than forthcoming.  In short, "bumps" had been found during an appointment two months earlier.  A last minute cancellation had created the opportunity for a discussion of test results and the prognosis today was good.

When someone is waiting for biopsy results, every minute can be agony as minds favor the worst possible outcome.  Had I said no to this volunteer opportunity, there is no telling how much longer this torment would have continued for this individual.

Of course, I had no way of knowing the situation prior to saying yes and it's always possible that I would never have known the reason for this appointment. But, isn't it interesting how things work out when you say "yes".  Two strangers were blessed at the same time

Volunteer Match

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:8-10