Take a moment to reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made for us, for you. What sacrifice, such as the strenuous manual labor in the story, are you reluctant to undertake?Each semester my youth group hosts an overnight service lock-in during which we teens do corporal works of mercy for our community on a regular basis. These lock-ins consist of an evening reflecting on the gifts God has given us and, on the following day, a full day of working with a local charity. Usually these events are a lot of fun because you have your friends around. One semester, we were going to help a charity that builds homes for people who can’t afford them. I was very familiar with the organization, so I wasn’t expecting anything new or any surprises. Boy, was I wrong!
On a very hot and sunny day we arrived at a house that seemed fine on the outside. But the inside and back yard was another matter. Broken cabinets were hanging by a single nail, buckled tiles on the floor begged to be replaced, and there was a mountain of rocks in the backyard.
There were around thirty-five teens, two chaperones, a man who was in charge of the construction, and a lady. It was nonstop hard labor for many hours for all of us, a level of labor which I was not accustomed to doing. We had to demolish cabinets, rip out tile, and move a tremendous amount of rock under the scorching sun. I started to regret volunteering. I just wanted to be sitting in my air-conditioned home instead.
After finishing the work we were asked to do, we gathered in the front yard. The man in charge thanked us for our help and then asked the lady to speak. We found out then that she was the prospective owner of the house. She was so appreciative of our help with her future home, that she started crying. It was at that point that I realized what sacrifice can do. The numerous hours that we sacrificed in the hot sun were for a person. I realized that since Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for us, then I can sacrifice something to help my brothers and sisters. My experience taught me the importance of service, and augmented my faith by widening my appreciation of Christ’s sacrifice for us.
—Jim
Take a moment to reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made for us, for you. What sacrifice, such as the strenuous manual labor in the story, are you reluctant to undertake?
Jim was able to hear from the prospective home owner words of gratitude, but that isn’t the reason why he volunteered. What can you do today as a corporal act of mercy without waiting for the reward of gratitude?