Hands to Serve Him, Hearts to Love Him

Every year, as May catches up with June, I wish I had more days to enjoy it. May is one of my favorite months, but it’s also one of the busiest and I rarely get a chance to immerse myself in its beauty.

This May, perhaps more than any other, I’m wishing for more time. Our Emmaus team meetings have flown by and last Tuesday night (5/19) we celebrated our final time together as a team until we meet at Emory for Send Off on July 16th. There is much for me to do between now and then, and those weeks will pass quickly, too. But I can’t explain how I’ll miss the smiling faces, the encouragement, the prayers, the music, the laughter, the shared Communion, and, perhaps most of all, our circle of agape love. All of these have been food for my soul these past months.

So on Tuesday we shared a leisurely meal (a salad supper, to be exact and true to my southern roots) and revealed our prayer partners. It’s crucial for us to continue praying for each other, as well as the Pilgrims God will bring, because the world will surely press in on us during the days to come. I found out my former table leader and dear friend Sue D. is also my prayer partner – another “twist of grace!” I am so thankful for her (and for her mad quilting skills, too!). Several team members were absent Tuesday night due to illness, including the one I’ve been specifically praying for. I hope to catch up with her over lunch soon.

Ironically, although I’ve helped come up with Lay Director gifts several times in the past, I had completely forgotten about the tradition this year! I was truly surprised and so touched when my team presented me with a leather-bound “Grace for the Moment” journal (in keeping with our grace theme and my need to write), as well as gorgeous rainbow-colored, fusion glass cross. (How did they know I’d always wanted to take a fusion glass class?) They also gifted me with two CDs packed with praise music and a beautiful silver bracelet inscribed with Proverbs 3:6:

“In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.”

Not only was each gift perfectly personal to me, now I won’t have to even consider having scripture tattooed around my wrist (inside joke…)! I thank each and every one of you – you are all precious to me!

Another team member who was ill that night was Lloyd J., who was scheduled to present his Sanctifying Grace talk. We missed him, but were graced by a devotional straight from Kim C.’s heart. It turned out to be right on topic – a perfect illustration of God’s sanctifying grace in her life. And, in one of many grace moments from that evening, she shared some gifts God has blessed her with along the journey. Her pebbles of grace were reflected in our worship later, as we were invited to pick up our own stones as reminders of His grace in our lives.

But my most precious memory of our last night was of watching our team wash and dry each other’s hands, blessing each other with humility and love. It was a vivid picture of grace, and a foretaste of the servanthood we will each be called to reflect on our upcoming Walk.

Water, trickling from a fountain and poured out over open hands…the fragrance of anointing oil…voices and arms lifted up to the Father…the bread and juice of life, offered to me as I knelt at the altar…whispered prayers….a smooth pebble pressed between my palm and Barbara’s…glowing faces and hearts, grace moments shared around our circle….

Thank you Jesus, for calling each of us for such a time as this. And thank you team, for saying yes to His calling. May he bless our hands to serve Him, and our hearts to love Him.

Amen.