Vocation Week

It seems that a lot of people are on vacation this week, thanks to the Fourth of July landing this Thursday.

My husband took the week off, too. But we are using this time as more of a "vocation" week than a "vacation" week.

Our vocation: to love and serve our neighbors, wherever God has placed us and wherever there is a need. Vocation was a big reason why we moved closer to home. We need to love and serve our families whenever we have the opportunity.

So on Monday, we took Ed's mom out to lunch and then to Lowe's to let her pick out a new shelving unit, and we installed it in her closet so that she can get a little more organized.

Yesterday, we drove to Tipp City, Ohio to help Ed's Dad and his wife do some much needed yard work.

We purchased sixty bags of mulch, and had to transport it in 30 bag increments. It barely fit in Ed's SUV!

Sam and I did a lot of weeding, and then this morning we all worked together to spread the 60 bags of mulch.

I love her collection of garden frogs!

Shirley Ann has always had amazing gardens in every home she's lived in. But now that they are in their eighties, it's harder to maintain it all. She used to have a garden guy to help, but he has retired now. It seemed like every time we talked, I heard about the weeds. So I asked her "How about letting us come and take care of the weeds and mulch for you?" I've learned so much from her as a gardener. Her gardens have always inspired me, and we were happy to help.

Could Ed and Sam have come up with something more fun to do over the holiday week? Sure. But I'm thankful that they were willing to do some hard labor in love.

I read this great thought from the author, Pastor A. Trevor Sutton in his book "Clearly Christian":

"It is a serious problem when proclaiming the Gospel of Christ Jesus is devoid of love: 'If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal' (1 Cor. 13:1). The world already has enough noisy gongs and clanging cymbals (most of them are hanging out in that place called the internet). Clear Christianity is steeped in love for others. This is not the so-called 'love' that our culture exudes. Christian love is sacrificial, gritty, and full of substance."

We gave some gritty, sacrificial love this week...our smelly clothes are proof of that!

With tears in her eyes, Shirley Ann thanked us over and over.

"I wonder why God didn't give me you two as my children," she pondered.

That's when we told her "Shirley Ann, we ARE your children!" That made her smile.

I think it's important for Sam to see that life is not full of showy displays and grandiose gestures. Christian living is not all about mission trips to exotic locations or service projects to rack up brownie points on college essays. Most of the time, it's just humble service, done in love, to God's glory...as it should be.