Samaritan House April 20th

As McKenzie said, it's hard to know what to write about when it comes to the Samaritan House. People are unpredictable, and it is only when you don't know what happens next that you get a story that's worth sharing. We don't get to deal with people at Samaritan House, and so have few stories worth sharing. We set tables, serve food, and clean up. It's like being a waiter, except we don't get paid and we choose to describe it as service.

Let me just start by saying that Faith, Love, Hope, and Mercy are not strong points of mine. I have never been famed for my outpouring of charity or my eagerness to help others. As someone who has grown up within the church, this is not an pleasurable confession to make, but it's true. I have often asked myself, "Why, then? Why do I bother showing up? Why do I give my service, for which I would demand at least minimum wage if this were a restaurant? Why do I bother?"

For a long time, I had no ready answer. Then I had an epiphany; why do I serve at Samaritan House? It's certainly not out of the goodness of my heart, for there is none in mine. It wasn't for the approval of my friends, for I am stubborn and willfull enough that mere disapproval could be shrugged off and ignored. I serve because I'm bad at loving people. I serve because I genuinely don't care about the people I'm serving. I serve because where the body goes the spirit will follow. I serve because I need the practice.