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| Coat donations at Northwest Children’s Outreach. Kids here will need them until July 5. Or August 5. Or always. |
March is over. How is this possible? I’ve been running around so much, this month has passed by in a blur.
Whoever said March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb did not live in Oregon. The wind, rain, and gray skies are bringing me down and my lack of energy totally reflects in my volunteering attitude. I’m still keeping my commitment to serve the less fortunate once a week, but my enthusiasm is waning.
From the Bible, I’ve adopted Philippians 2:7 (written in left column of this blog) as my theme verse this year. I strive for compassion to come naturally; to learn to have the “nature of a servant”. I wish I could tell you that after 13 weeks, my heart is full of grace and mercy. Sigh – not so. I wonder if I’ll ever get there.
The Bible paraphrase book, The Message, writes the Philippians passage this way:
[Jesus] had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges.
Jesus was human. We read throughout the Gospel that he experienced emotions like ours. He cried, became angry, was hungry, and withstood temptation. I wish I could find a passage telling me if Jesus ever became depressed or overwhelmed.
Did he ever say, “So much healing to do, but it’s cold and rainy out. I think I’ll just stay inside and watch tv today?”
or
“There is just too much hurting in this world! It’s too much for one person. Plus I’ve got bills to pay, kids to chauffeur, and meals to plan?”
No, I don’t think he did. Because even though he was human, he was God. And even if he gave up his “privileges of deity”, he still had a God-size heart. Which means he loved everyone, no matter what. Even the junkie who can’t make it to the food bank.
Entering April, I will continue on my quest to have a servant’s heart. Which of Jesus’ attributes do you strive to embody?
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