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."
