Today’s blog is a little more spiritual and reflecting than anything else.
After spending Memorial Day reflecting and thinking about what service truly is, only one conclusion can be made. It is sacrificing in order to benefit someone else. For many this is a lost art because it is difficult to sacrifice something that can be important to us. This could be in the form of money, time, abilities, or lives. Memorial Day is more than just a Monday where almost everyone gets the day off work. It is to commemorate those who sacrificed their lives in order to serve the citizens of the United States.
An even greater service that was done for all mankind is celebrated every year as well. We happened to celebrate it last month. Good Friday is a day of mourning for the sacrifice Jesus Christ made to serve all of us and save the WORLD from sin. So that is a pretty big deal. We then celebrate his resurrection on Easter Sunday and some also do on Easter Monday. Sadly, some don’t believe this is the case, but that’s alright because we can still love them and serve them each day by living through Jesus in order to help them find Him also.
Those are two of the greatest forms of service I can think of. To lay down one’s life for the betterment of others is the ultimate sacrifice in the name of serving the greater good.
Of course, for us average folk who live and bust through the day-to-day grind of life service can come in the form of volunteering time to help someone else, working a job in the service industry which can help others achieve things they could not do themselves, or providing care to those in need. We utilize gifts and talents to be able to help others. Yes, there can be monetary gain from this, but this is to support families and other businesses who are also looking to succeed. So ultimately, the circle of service continues. Sacrificing financial gain to feed, clothe, and protect your family is a form of service which helps to pay someone else who can then do the same for their family.
As a chiropractor, I love being able to provide a service to the communities I call home. It makes going to work not even feel like work because I know that someone is going to be able to benefit from care so they can move forward to achieve their goals and go forth to serve others. It is truly a blessing to be able to do this on a daily basis. I am always reminded of graduation and hearing those words, “Now go forth and serve.” It didn’t understand the meaning fully at the time, but after being in practice for almost 9 months and having this practice for 3 of them I have learned what it means to serve others. I sacrifice most of my time with family, friends, and other organizations in order to see patients throughout the week and into the evenings on some days. It is difficult and sometimes can be very frustrating, but when a patient is seeing the gains they haven’t been able to experience before they started care becoming a reality for them it changes everything.
This is the reward of service. Knowing you did something for the benefit of others. It has nothing to do with personal gain or accolades. It has everything to do with the person you serve.
So thank a veteran, thank a first responder, thank a police officer, thank a fire fighter, thank your parents and family, thank a health care provider, thank your waiter/waitress, thank a volunteer, thank a social worker, and thank anyone who has done anything to help serve you and make your life just a little bit better. Most of all thank God for the life you live, and thank Jesus for serving you in the greatest way known to mankind.
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