{SERVANTHOOD}

I came to Kampala with the intentions of serving others. I came to Kampala to help teach the character of God to the people of this city. What I didn't know is that the people in this city would be teaching me the many ways my life was lacking characteristics of God. This has compelled me to post several blog entries that will hopefully help you reflect on whether your life possesses these characteristics that I have been missing. 

SERVANTHOOD: 

This is something that until recently, I thought I was good at. In fact, I think it is something that most of my generation thinks they are good at. We are the generation of "change." We do good things. We go to Africa to feed the starving children. We volunteer at the SPCA, homeless shelters, nursing homes, food-banks and Habitat of Humanity. We raise money for Relay for Life. We raise awareness for sex trafficking. We buy fair-trade and wear scarves that benefit great causes. 

Us Christians serve at church. We sign up for every event, we bring food to every social gathering, we teach Sunday school, we keep nursery, we lead bible study, and we, sometimes, put a few bucks in the offering plate. 

We think we are servants. In fact, in so many ways we are. 

................................

Right before I came to Kampala, the founder of A Perfect Injustice asked me, "what are you most excited about?' I responded, "learning from you." Little did I know how much I had to learn. 

This is the woman who at 21 years old came to Africa never intending to return to America. The woman who prayed, "ok God, why do you want me here?" The woamn who only six years later is the executive director of a ministry that is changing a countless amount of peoples’ lives and a woman who daily is passionately fighting against injustice for the purpose of furthering the Kingdom of God. The woman who serves prostituted women, street children, and many, many more people who face injustice. The woman who has slept on the streets with street boys to assure her love for them, allowing them to see the love of their heavenly Father. 

That is amazing, yes... but I already knew all these things about her. In my head, that is what servanthood was. Abby has proved otherwise. 

The first day I was in Uganda, Abby had a gift for me (I came to serve her and she quickly served me). That same week she took me to lunch and encouraged me greatly. The next week (on her only day off) she invited me and many other women to her house. She had dinner cooked (WHICH WAS AMAZING), movies ready to play, and a home manicure spread out with all the works. As if that wasn't enough, she began baking us cakes. She literally served every one of us from the second we walked in until we left. 

The next week, I mentioned that I did not pack enough clothes. So, (once again, during her one day off) she took me shopping. While there, she found a shirt that she LOVED and after much convincing on my part she went and bought it. 

The following week, all those clothes I had bought (and many, many more) got stolen. She quickly called to sympathize with me (ok, this woman sees the most horrific things, yet she took the time to sympathize with stolen clothes).

The following day, she showed up with a bag of her own clothes to give to me. Included in the bag was a dress she had previously worn that I said I loved and the shirt she fell in love with that I convinced her to buy while shopping with tags still on it. 

Today, we were walking to street programs, which was quite the hike. About a mile in, it became obvious that I was struggling (when am I not?). My shoes were KILLING my feet and I literally was having a hard time even keeping them on my feet. If only you could have seen me walking up that hill. Tragic. This is when Abby stopped and refused to walk any further until I put on her shoes and let her walk in mine. 

It baffles me how a woman who is surrounded by people who desperately need to be served, takes time to serve me. It baffles me that she would take on my pain, to give me comfort. It baffles me that she gives the little time she has for herself, to serve me. 

This is servanthood. It isn't working for an awesome organization or even saving the world. Yes, these things are great and they are serving.... but servanthood is a characteristic that you possess both during these events and outside of them. It is something you seek to do daily, for everyone not just a select few. It is giving of yourself and putting everyone else above you. 

I am thankful for the example of servanthood. Not just in Abby, but in Jesus Himself. Fully God, who made himself human and came down to earth to selflessly serve His people; who took on pain for my comfort; who didn't give me a bag of new clothes, but gave me the gift of salvation. 

So, think about it again. Think about it hard. Do you posses the characteristic of servanthood? 

xoxo, 

Jordan 

Phil 2:1-4 says, "Now if you have known anything of Christ's encouragement and of his reassuring love; if you have known something of the fellowship of his Spirit, and of compassion and deep sympathy, do make my joy complete--live together in harmony, live together in love, as though you had only one mind and spirit between you. Never act from motives of rivalry or personal vanity, but in humility think more of each other than you do of yourselves. None of you should think only of his own affairs, but consider other people's interests also."

Phil 2:3-4 says, "Don't do anything from selfish ambition, or from a cheap desire to boast; but be humble towards each other, never thinking you are better than others. And look out for each other's interests, not just for your own."

Phil 2:5-8 says, "Let your attitude to life be that of Christ Jesus himself. For he, who had always been God by nature, did not cling to his privileges as God's equal, but stripped himself of every advantage by consenting to be a slave by nature and being born a man. And, plainly seen as a human being, he humbled himself by living a life of utter obedience, to the point of death, and the death he died was that of a common criminal. That is why God has lifted him to the heights, and has given him the name beyond all names."