One morning, helping in the office at my local congregation, we discovered a man sleeping behind the church. We offered him something to drink and eat and the use of our bathroom for a shower and shave. He used our phone to connect with some resources, but most importantly I simply listened. I heard about his recent struggles, helped him talk through some possible future plans, and empathized with the frustrations of navigating the systems of assistance in our area. I couldn’t fill his wallet, but we were lucky to have the resources to fill his belly. I couldn’t clear his path forward, but I helped him head toward it feeling functional. There were a few things around the office that didn’t get done that day, but the most important thing was centered. I ended that day with a big smile on my face – so happy to have been of service. I often consider the quote from Rabindranath Tagore – “I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.” -Darbi Lockridge (CLF Board Member)
When has service brought joy into your life?