Being sneaky is fun! Especially when it’s being sneaky to serve someone who least expects it. Face it, pulling off a surprise birthday party or leaving someone an anonymous gift card when they have no clue it’s coming is thrilling! People often poo poo generosity since it proves that there’s no act toward others that’s truly altruistic. In other words, since we get something out of serving others(it feels good), it’s not truly a good act.
Utter.
Complete.
Nonsense.
Who cares if it feels good to serve others? To perform what The Lutheran Book of Worship calls, Works of Love”.
What if that’s simply how our Father in Heaven created us?
We were created to enjoy works of love. So, why doesn’t it come more naturally? Why do we need to be reminded of it each Lent? Well, if you’ve ever hung around church long enough you know there are a few safe answers to lots of questions that get asked. You know, the safe, Sunday-School answers?
Jesus.
God.
Sin. Ding! Ding! Ding!
Sin causes amnesia (among other things). Keep reading to see the connection…
One of the main ways people ‘forget’ is in the practice of random acts of kindness. That is, secretly serving others (or at least as secretly as possible). Eventually, the recipient of the surprise birthday party will figure out what’s happening.
When I turned forty, my wife organized a surprise birthday party for me. I was starting to get the impression that no one had remembered my birthday. So on a Saturday near my birthday, she casually mentioned that a member of our church wanted to have us and the kids over to their house for lunch and a ride in their boat.
This couple was on our leadership team and we had a personal friendship, so this didn’t seem too odd. While I and the kids were in the boat, Julia was welcoming forty other people into our friend’s home for the surprise.
After a rather long boat ride (there were a few glitches in the planning) and some oddly timed phone calls by our host who was driving the boat, we returned to the dock to this immense crowd of people standing in the backyard! It was a lot of fun! And to this day, that moment stands out as a powerful memory of friendship and love from my wife and our friends.
A surprise party is a big project. But I have been the recipient of many works of love:
- When I got hurt last year in Latvia, several people came to my home offering:
- Food
- Yard work
- Sitting with me as I recovered from surgery.
- Cards in the mail…
Just to name a few examples.
These selfless acts of giving always create memories and connect people together. These works of love also strengthen our generosity muscles so that when we notice people perhaps not so close to us in need, we are more likely to take action. Taking action, and putting love into practice is perhaps the most powerful form of evangelism.
So, let’s get started! Lent is just getting going. Whom will you serve this week? Where will you act in love? You’d be amazed at how easy it is.
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