Last month, my husband Terry and I volunteered at a YWAM (Youth With a Mission) base near Tijuana, Mexico. One of our main responsibilities was called "hospitality". This included cleaning up the dining room after a meal, cleaning and supplying the bathrooms, dusting, sweeping, and emptying garbage cans in the offices. As I would go by the mail room, I would stare at the slot for volunteers in a set of pigeonholes, hoping to find mail addressed to us.

No doubt, the image of pigeonholes was imprinted on my brain, and surfaced in a dream that I had. In my dream, I was in a school building, where each class had its own set of pigeonholes at the door to the classroom. I was looking for a set with my name, so that I would know which classroom was mine. Then, in my dream, one of my fellow teachers said, "I saw yours; it was beside mine."

In my dream, it was as if I were searching for significance by finding my classroom. On the YWAM base, I wasn't serving in what I believed was my niche, a job suitable for me. Our work was repetitive, and although I fell into a comfortable rhythm doing it, it didn't particularly bring me joy. I could have easily imagined myself as a slave or a prisoner, since we had no opportunity to drive anywhere on our days off.

Terry, on the other hand, made the most of our days, and plunged into his new role with enthusiasm. He is a servant at heart, and I saw that he was happy in his role. He came alive and moved quickly and efficiently around the small campus. Terry would take the initiative and knew just how to tackle each area that we were assigned to clean. He even took on jobs beyond our defined responsibility, wherever he saw a need. I took my direction from him. The person in charge of us knew that she could count on us, and often consulted with Terry about areas that needed attention.

Matthew 20:26b-28 – Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. (NLT)

I quickly realized that God had assigned me to this definite place. Although I have been retired for almost thirteen years, I'm still in a training program to serve God. I am being reminded again of the importance of the servant role. The teacher in my dream who saw my pigeonholes was like God, Who sees all, and says to us, "I'm right beside you."

When we feel as though we lack significance, let's be reminded that God is with us. We are not alone, and He continues to train us to serve others.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that we have been selected to be servants for You. Help us to embrace this important role. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Alice Burnett <terrencera.burnett@gmail.com>
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
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