The Character Trait "Service"

[Jen]

I just have to share this! My ds is doing BHFHG, and his character trait for last week was "service." It had been a hectic week and the first two days I didn't ask him all of the questions within the Bible portion that went along with "service." God ended up giving us a real-life example that made up for my lacking. We were driving through a shopping center parking lot and on the way in there was a man holding a "will work for food" sign. Okay, to my shame I have never stopped for anyone in that situation...just kept on with my day. But God nudged me that day. We went on in the store and I told myself if he was still there when we came out I needed to stop and at least give him a bottle of water that I had in the van. When we came out he was gone, but his wife was there...made me a little less fearful, I guess. So she was standing at the stop sign, I rolled down my window and handed her two bottles of water and a pack of crackers. It's all I had of worth to her in the van, and God kept telling me to do this as an example to my children (it was not much and I am not patting myself on the back here at all...I could do so much more for others!!) We went home and my ds started copying his Bible verse for the week. It was Proverbs 11:24. As he was working I opened the mail that had been on the counter since the day before. Inside was a reimbursement check from a doctor's visit last May for $20. I wasn't expecting it. Something clicked then...what I had just given to the lady probably cost me about $3 total (no big deal.) Then less than an hour later I received this check for $20. So, I went over to my ds and read the first line of what he just copied. The version of the Bible he was using said this, "Some people give much but get back even more." Wow. All of a sudden the nudging from the Lord made sense. My ds and I talked about the relevance of how we shared and how we received and how God tied it all together for us. (And also how we don't do things for others to get anything back, that was just a bonus!) That was such a great lesson on service for him. He has since prayed for that couple a few times and I think he will not forget when he first learned about service. So, now I think we need to do something service-related with the $20!! If the people are there again perhaps I can take them inside the store and buy them some food they need?? Any ideas?

[Jessi]

Jen!!! That is so awesome how God blessed you for blessing others. What a great living example for your son to witness. Lessons like that won't soon be forgotten. Thanks for sharing!

[Candice]

Jen,

Wow, that is so neat, what a wonderful learning/life/God experience.
Could you give your son the opportunity to decide what do do with the $20.00? I bet that he would make a wonderful decision.

Candice

[Carrie]

Jen,

This is a great example of what service looks like in real life. You did a terrific job of listening to the Lord's leading and bringing it back to the Bible. What a good life lesson.

I agree that your son will never forget it.

Blessings,
Carrie