The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.
-Mark 10:45 (NRSV)
I have always thought of myself as a caregiver. I take care of other people. I am the older of two children, and I grew up taking care of my little sister. After marrying and having children of my own, I took care of them. As a teacher, I took care of my students. As my parents got older, I tried to help them as much as possible. Now I am on dialysis and waiting for a kidney transplant. Members of my family and friends have offered to be evaluated as possible donors. For some reason, this generosity makes me very uncomfortable. I do not want people to help me; I want to help them.
One day as I was reading my Bible, I remembered that Jesus chose to serve others. But I also realized that Jesus commanded everyone to serve other people. Part of my obedience to that command is giving others the opportunity to serve. I realized that I should not stop my relatives and friends from fulfilling their need and obligation to serve. In fact, sometimes the way to obey God is to let others serve us.
Dear Lord, give us the desire and ability to help others. But give us also wisdom to know when to let others help us. Lead us to accept the kindness of others in your name. Amen.
