sent to serve

by Bev Mello (bevm@lordoflife.org)

‘Pace of life’ for many folks in this corner of the world may mean a vacation during the month of June. Some may choose R&R around a pool with a fruity, umbrella-garnished beverage, soaking up Vitamin D— or being at a theme or water park. (And there is certainly nothing wrong with that!) Yet others may choose to use ‘free’ time answering the Holy Spirit’s call to serve. Three Lord of Life members feel the phrase “sent to serve the world” was meant specifically for them. They served in the Dominican Republic, Uganda, and the southern United States.

Perhaps the Holy Spirit may not lead you to those places. It could be locally with Lord of Life partners Feed My Starving Children or Gethsemane Lutheran or CROSS food shelf—or within Lord of Life for children, youth & family opportunities. Consider your Discipleship Path while sensing the Holy Spirit’s direction. And may we keep in mind Lord of Life’s 1978 charter which states “Jesus came not to be served, but to serve.”

To learn more about service opportunities, visit lordoflife.org/discipleshiponline. There are many ways to give back, but I wanted to do something more hands-on than just putting money in the offering plate. When I heard about a dental mission trip, it sounded like the perfect opportunity for me to serve. I have been a hygienist for a very long time, so I went in 2010 and yearly until COVID-19 made this year’s trip cancel. I have always heard when you help others you get more out of it than you give; I’ve found that certainly true. And meeting other people in a Christian community that I would’ve never had the opportunity to meet or talk to has been very rewarding. Besides doing dentistry on so many who badly need it and teaching about dental care in the schools there—you get to experience a different culture including worshipping with Dominicans. The biggest takeaway I’ve had is to reevaluate my life as far as what I need to be happy. The people I met have literally almost nothing of material value and yet they have so much happiness and joy. It seems like in our world here we always want more and more “stuff.” Also disconnecting from computers and smart phones and simply praying with a group of Christians and with the community in the Dominican, reading God’s word daily, and reflecting on God’s plan is such a wonderful experience! —Pat Bolin

Years ago Lord of Life had a sermon series for us to discover our “sweet spot” of skills & passions overlapping with service opportunities. The good news is I found my sweet spot using my project management experience. The bad news (if you want to call it that) is that I found my sweet spot—and it was in Uganda! After years of Hope4Kids International children’s sponsorship and my family’s connections to the country, I was on my first mission trip asking, “Why, God, what are you doing? You’ve created a large portion of the world that is without clean water, has inadequate food sources, and inadequate healthcare. And then I had an epiphany or maybe it was more like a smack upside the head! I didn’t hear an audible voice, but I did in that moment receive a clear answer from the Holy Spirit/God/Jesus: ‘Why do you think you were brought here, Kent?’” From that moment on, I was hooked. God clearly had not abandoned or forgotten that corner of the world. I need to use my vacation time because it’s a long ways away and need to get there first—then, I can serve. Another way I think about serving is the greatest law is to love God with all your heart and mind and soul and to love your neighbor as yourself . . . our neighbors are all who God has created. —Kent Dirks My previous job honored up to four hours of volunteer time (VTO) so I only had to use 36 hours of my paid time off (PTO). I now work for a company that honors up to 24 hours of VTO! Using PTO to serve has a way of refilling your tank in unexplainable, fruitful ways; whereas, vacations without that purpose can sometimes drain your tank so you feel like you need a vacation after your vacation! I’ve participated in four trips with Habitat for Humanity in Alabama. One major takeaway I have experienced on serving trips is my eyes and heart seem clearer. I feel more keen to “God winks,” hidden blessings and favor from God. I remember one time as were wrapping up one of the mission trips to Tuscaloosa, AL, I felt as if I were experiencing heaven on earth. We are here on this earth to serve one another which can be more rewarding than sitting poolside, but poolside is also sometimes needed. :) —Missy Benson