Service

I was having supper after Mass one evening when the table topic centered on church activities. One of them turned to me and asked was I still with my ministry.


I told him yes I am, and with that response, came a "pfft" and a cringed look on his face. He said, "You should have grown out of that ministry by now, the people there are so young!"

Why I serve?
Years ago when I started out serving as an acolyte (as my parish calls it), serving to me was being right beside the Altar during Mass, where I knew God would be. I pictured serving as though a squire, waiting on his lord, doing and carrying out commands whenever needed to.

That was service to me.

Upon confirmation, I moved on to a youth ministry where our main form of service was to organise and execute Masses for youths. Service to me then was somewhat like a caterer, rolling out lavish and quality Masses.

That was service to me.

A question that I've had all these while was:
Why would God who is so mighty, so infinite, so omnipotent need from a lowly creation such as me?

Our God sets the directions for lightning bolts, holds the entire universe in His hands, breathes life into creation...Why would He need human servants?

"I have come to serve and not to be served.."
Jesus, God's only Son CHOSE the form of a human so as to be among us, to, in His own words, serve and not be served.
So who did He intended to serve? Sounds crazy right? The God of Creation, the Great I AM, saying He has come to be among us to serve.

Ok, hold that thought for a moment...

Now, 6 years after I moved on to where I'm serving right now. It seems, after serving 7 years here, that the act of service isn't all about being squire waiting on his lord, isn't all about being a caterer.

What I'm saying, is that service isn't entirely about the physical results that our hands achieve. It definitely isn't about giving ourselves a pat on the back 
and congratulate ourselves for having pulled something of. No.

So we know at this moment that whatever good deed that is done onto another is a deed done onto our Lord.

Diving deeper, what is truly the main meaning of all these?

For me, the person of John the Baptist fully understood the disposition of service. John had the biggest operation around in his time, baptising people in the waters of the River Jordan. Large numbers flocked to him daily. Yet, he understood that he was merely the voice in the desert that cries out, "In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."

John knew his role as a sign post directing people toward Jesus. John's service prepared the people for their encounter with God.

One of my leaders shared several times that one of her reasons why she remained in ministry is because she was touched by another's act of service.

Hence...
The reason I serve isn't to earn brownie points with God.
The reason I serve isn't just simply to fulfill that sense of duty.
The reason I serve isn't to simply increase the size of my social circle.
The reason I serve has nothing to do with the age nor demographic of the community I'm in
The reason I serve is definitely not for fame nor glory.

The reason I serve is to "pay forward" the many blessings I have received from Him. 

The reason I serve is to pave the way for everyone towards our Lord and King.

The reason I serve is to prepare those I serve for their encounter with a glorious God.

The reason I serve is because God first served me, gifting me salvation through His Son who lived among us and served us...

... and that's why I serve.