Mary and Darlene

I just wanted to share a quick story about two precious women who minister to me weekly, though they may not realize it. I work at a boarding school for at-risk youth. Our school is a non-profit, so we see quite a few volunteers come through our doors each week. There are more people than I can count who have shown their support for the ministry through volunteering. However, there are only a few who have shown the loving commitment that Mary and Darlene show each week. Every Tuesday morning, Mary and Darlene arrive at the boarding house to wash clothes for the boys that live in the house. Most of our students are pre-teen boys, all experts at getting their clothes dirty, so naturally the washing is heavy duty! The boys are usually out of the house when Mary and Darlene are working and they probably would not notice that their clothes had been cleaned and put-away unless a staff member pointed it out to them. Mary and Darlene are usually gone before lunch or shortly after, so they don't often cross paths with the staff members either. I have the joy of seeing them serve on occasion. Sometimes, they have to wait a while for the drying to finish so that they can put the last load of clothes in to dry before they leave. Sometimes they have to ask me for a key to unlock the boys' bedroom to put away clean clothes. Aside from that, their role is low-profile, so their work often goes unnoticed.

These two precious ladies serve out of the gladness of their heart and the joy that they have in Christ Jesus. They show love to the kids at our school by showing up EVERY SINGLE TUESDAY morning and giving up 3-4 hours of their day to wash clothes. It's not an exciting job, but they do it so joyfully. They are meeting a very practical need within this ministry and it is such a beautiful blessing to see their joyful and humble service. Their service brings to mind a passage from Philippians which speaks of Christ as a servant.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage, he made himself nothing by taking the very of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." - Philippians 2:3-11

Thank you Mary and Darlene! I love you both and rejoice to call you my sisters!