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It was Thanksgiving Day in Atlanta, and I participated in the Hosea Williams “Feed the Homeless Thanksgiving Day Dinner” event. The adults partnered with high school students from the area who had volunteered to serve the meals. It was a nice day outside.
When my 15-year-old partner arrived, she was crying. I looked at her mom with an inquisitive face, and her mom said, “Everything was fine until we turned the corner and she saw all the people. She asked me were all these people homeless and hungry, and when I told her yes, she’s been crying ever since. I offered to take her back home, but she wanted to come, she opted to stay. She has a spirit to serve.” I told her mom that she would be OK with me and would be fine. So I gathered her up, introduced myself, and then dabbed the tears from her eyes and said, “Come, let’s see what they have for us to do.” Off we went.
My helper had the dessert wagon. The plan was to seat the people as they came in, get them fed, move them out and bring in the next group—production line style. Dessert and salad were served from the roll-around carts with water and sweet tea on the table with volunteer “waiters,” ensuring the people had refills when requested. So all things ran pretty smoothly. But as usual in Rev. Bobby’s life, I got a field promotion and was asked to act in a floor manager role, so I got my helper, took her in the back to turn in her cart, and we marched forth in our new Management Roles.
Look, she was fully alive then, large and in charge, making suggestions and helping others fulfill their roles. I was cracking up. She was so good. I guess it’s every woman’s forte’ ’cause girlfriend could run some stuff. She was in her element now. Being a runner getting supplies, making sure the servers had full trays of food, getting more paper plates and plastic silverware, buzzing around free to help out wherever. She was in heaven. And, like all things, it came to an end. We were not clean up crew per se,’ but you know we all pitched in.
As I picked up trash and swept, I listened to the young people talking and sharing their experiences that day. They all had a positive, eye-opening experience. Deep down, I smiled and wondered which one would be President, who would be Corporate heads, and all that stuff. When we finished, and my helper’s mom came to get her, my helper went to retrieve her sweater. Her mom noticed how bright and sunshiny her daughter was versus her teary face in the A.M. When my helper appeared, she ran toward her mom but stopped short of latching on and hugging me. My eyes leaked.
I think that the point I am trying to make by sharing this story is that even when life is tough, and you do not show up in the manner, you’d like, serving others always helps get you out of that mindset. So when you serve, as you’re in service, performing the tasks, the act of doing and being in service helps to move you beyond yourself.
May peace be the only experience in your life.
Photo by Zac Durant on Unsplash
Rev. Robert Yarbrough, aka, Rev. Bobby
– Rev. BobbyThe Reverend Doctor Robert I. Yarbrough is an independent New Thought Minister, trained and steeped in Fillmorian Theology. He is a writer, author, lecturer, workshop/seminar facilitator, and former television host, of “Eating From The Tree Of Life” in Chicago. His extraordinary Bible skills led him in his two-year series on the book of The Revelation, where Rev. Bobby shared the secrets recorded in the most loving book in the Bible with others. His unique presentation style places audiences at ease which is always conducive for them to come away with some spiritual meat that they can immediately apply to their lives. In his newest book, 28 Days A Journey Within, Rev. Bobby establishes the bridge necessary for those ready to break through and move all of their desires into manifest reality. Reverend Bobby is also a board member of the X-Tend-A-Hand Ministry in Chicago. He handles all pastoral care duties and functions as the non-profit expert as he incorporated the ministry and developed the 501 (c) (3) package. Rev. Bobby also fields, initiates and handles all communication between X-Tend-A-Hand and the government agencies that have oversight responsibilities for nonprofit organizations
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