In our world, there are too many of us who want to milk reindeer, when there are no reindeer which need milking. Instead, there's a young girl who needs a big sister or a mother-figure. There's a family who could use an extra bag of groceries on their doorstep tonight. There's a young man who has great potential for God's Kingdom, but right now just needs someone to believe in him.
There's a class of rowdy youngsters who needs someone to step in and invest themselves into those little hearts. There's an older person who needs a phone call from someone--anyone--just to talk.
I believe our attitude should be that of a feisty 91-year-old who lived alone in a small Missouri town and was recovering from recent hip replacement surgery. The woman's granddaughter was worried about whether she was eating right, so they called Meals on Wheels to see if they would call her and offer their services.
The following day a volunteer called the grandmother and explained the Meals on Wheels program and how it relies on volunteers to help the elderly and ill. Would she be interested in it?
"Well, sure," she replied. "If you can't find anyone else to help you, I guess I can!"
What a great attitude! What a servant heart! How she shames me sometimes!
You see, there are not too many reindeer waiting to be milked around here. Find the real jobs--and do them.
–Rocky Henriques