True Value
The last week we given a 30 day challenge to serve and contribute whenever we could. For those that thought that was too difficult we were also told we can take the 30 day "Have the world serve me" challenge and try to live entirely for ourselves. Either way we were to see at the end of the time period if we were closer to God or if we felt worse.
I am not an expert really, but I will say that I have tried the "Be Served" route for a long time prior to this and I will be the first to tell you...it don't work.
What do you think of when you hear the word Contribute?
I'll admit the word sends off a lot of alarms and red lights when I hear it. Usually that means "Someone wants me to give more money to something or other." So I didn't know quite what to expect when I went to the service, but I kept waiting for it to turn to money. It never really did.
Contributing isn't just about money really.
No really.
It is about serving and giving of your time and energy for something that is valuable to you. In my case God, my family, my friends, and my community. You may notice that I am not on that list. It isn't out of modesty I assure you.
When I contribute and get involved with the things I care about, then I am also recieving from doing that.
Sounds hokey? Yeah it probably does, but that doesn't make it any less true.
A few years ago I worked for the woman that would be my Mother-in-law. When I started out she was having me work for her while I went to find a real job and got myself started. When she got more ill and wasn't able to keep going I stayed working for her and started helping take care of her. When she passed away last July I had been with her for over 2 years.
She paid me to work for her, but I didn't make enough to retire off of course. The last few months I spent working with her, I kept her calm and made her smile and happy, even though she knew that she was dying. People called me kind things that they never called me before...a blessing, an angel, and the like. I have worked several jobs, but nothing satisfied me more than when I served another person.
It gave me meaning, to be meaningful to them.
Now I have Telly to take care of, and I can't imagine just having a "job" ever again. I never feel like I am going to "work" because I love what I do.
The opposite side of the coin is my brother Ed.
My brother Ed has strived his entire life to be a rich man so he can do what he wants. Now at nearly 40, he is a millionare. He has two houses, a great car, and can do whatever he wants. He is also the most miserable guy I know.
He is never satisified, and the more he gets the less he loves it. He wanted to be the master of money years ago, but nothing ever makes him feel good enough. So who is really the master after all?
He tells me that I should get a better job a lot, and tells me that with what I can do I should be making more money. He also wishes he could be satisifed with what he has, and doesn't understand how I can.
When you serve, you are served by your own satisfaction, if you want to be served you never will enjoy what you have. This is what they mean when they say for you to be the greatest you must first become the least.
I am not an expert really, but I will say that I have tried the "Be Served" route for a long time prior to this and I will be the first to tell you...it don't work.
What do you think of when you hear the word Contribute?
I'll admit the word sends off a lot of alarms and red lights when I hear it. Usually that means "Someone wants me to give more money to something or other." So I didn't know quite what to expect when I went to the service, but I kept waiting for it to turn to money. It never really did.
Contributing isn't just about money really.
No really.
It is about serving and giving of your time and energy for something that is valuable to you. In my case God, my family, my friends, and my community. You may notice that I am not on that list. It isn't out of modesty I assure you.
When I contribute and get involved with the things I care about, then I am also recieving from doing that.
Sounds hokey? Yeah it probably does, but that doesn't make it any less true.
A few years ago I worked for the woman that would be my Mother-in-law. When I started out she was having me work for her while I went to find a real job and got myself started. When she got more ill and wasn't able to keep going I stayed working for her and started helping take care of her. When she passed away last July I had been with her for over 2 years.
She paid me to work for her, but I didn't make enough to retire off of course. The last few months I spent working with her, I kept her calm and made her smile and happy, even though she knew that she was dying. People called me kind things that they never called me before...a blessing, an angel, and the like. I have worked several jobs, but nothing satisfied me more than when I served another person.
It gave me meaning, to be meaningful to them.
Now I have Telly to take care of, and I can't imagine just having a "job" ever again. I never feel like I am going to "work" because I love what I do.
The opposite side of the coin is my brother Ed.
My brother Ed has strived his entire life to be a rich man so he can do what he wants. Now at nearly 40, he is a millionare. He has two houses, a great car, and can do whatever he wants. He is also the most miserable guy I know.
He is never satisified, and the more he gets the less he loves it. He wanted to be the master of money years ago, but nothing ever makes him feel good enough. So who is really the master after all?
He tells me that I should get a better job a lot, and tells me that with what I can do I should be making more money. He also wishes he could be satisifed with what he has, and doesn't understand how I can.
When you serve, you are served by your own satisfaction, if you want to be served you never will enjoy what you have. This is what they mean when they say for you to be the greatest you must first become the least.
Labels: faith, family, rants, social tripe, work stuff
posted by Janus Torrell at 7:36 AM
4 Comments:
The funny part you forgot to mention is that the next day you woke up to find that someone else beat you to the punch and cleaned off your car of snow! God is so neat, I love his sense of humor!
--Bella
It's a lot more satisfying when you are helping other people, or contribute with something that means a lot to you. And money doesn't buy happiness.
In my job, we hire out special minibuses to elderly and disabled groups. Without our minibuses, these people couldn't go out shopping, or go to the library, or other stuff that we take for granted.
Frodo :)
Janus - Most people think that money will save them from lifes woes. But one fact that is true is that we DO need money to survive. I'm not saying that you have to have a million dollars in order to find happiness. Being able to know your bills are paid, and you have food in your fridge is a good start.
Trust me, I'm not a selfish person, and while I don't believe the world should be serving me, I want to work, and find an increasing discrimination towards people that lack certain things like cars, cell phones, credit cards.
It's like the world has turned to possessions as their personal Jesus.
As for what you did for that woman, you gave her the greatest gift you can give. Your time, and empathy. For a person dying that is the best thing to know they have someone there to spend time with them and care that they are fed and cared for.
Maybe if those people who are beyond rich shared some of what they have an abdunance of, the rest of us could live a little more secure in our world.
My 2 cents.
Peace,
- Neo
Wow thanks for all the comments!
Yes Bella I realized I didn't put that in the end like I intended about half way to work. The hazard of writing in early morning before going to work.
Frodo that is a great thing that your company does, it must do you well to see all those people being blessed by it.
Neo, I agree with you completely, people are more and more looking for money to make their life perfect. Money is a means to ends not an end itself.
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