November 2023 Monthly Letter

Dear Reconcilers,

I am pleased to share Sheila Graham’s thoughts on becoming more aware and appreciative of the many people in our community who serve us each day. Jannice and I would like to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

Everyday Servants

You mean you don’t wash and iron all these clothes before you sell them?” I teased the women checking us out. My daughter and I found some treasures at a church resale shop and were advised to wash the items before we wore them. 

The women laughed, but the older woman said years before they had a washer and dryer there and she did just that. Now the store is so full of clothes and many other donated items, they can’t offer that service anymore. It made me wonder how long that elderly woman had worked there. How much of her life had she sacrificed to provide inexpensive clothing and household items for others. 

We are being served all the time. Some are volunteers and some are paid workers, but they all serve us in some way. They come in all shapes and sizes, all races, male and female. Some are delivering our mail and packages. Others are cleaning our homes or mowing our yards. Still others teach our children, provide our transportation, grow our food, pave our roads, repair our cars. And, we can’t forget those who put their lives in danger every day to keep us safe at home and abroad. The list is endless.

If we’re not careful they can become invisible to us. We can take them for granted. Last year some people in our community got together at Christmas to show their appreciation to those folks who pick up our trash. The guys were overwhelmed, not expecting anything except a paycheck for the critical job they perform every week.

We live in a society dependent on one another. It’s been many generations since people could survive on their own. No longer are we so self-sufficient that we can do without the services of others. 

Let’s not let the people serving in our lives become un-persons to us. Whether they wear a suit, a uniform or a hardhat, let’s be thankful for every one of them. Not every servant of the Lord has an official title, but he values them no less.

Sheila Graham has a master’s of arts in religion and a master’s of arts in women’s studies in religion. Among her published writings is The Proverbs 31 Woman and Other Biblical Women, coauthored with Michael Morrison, available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, which also addresses the question of what roles women can play in the church today.