“Sometimes you feel foolish, even look foolish, but you do the thing anyway” The Go-Giver
Last Thursday was a GREAT day! We became official homeowners by buying our own lawn mower. To some, mowing the lawn is an inconvenience and a pain in the bum. For me it is a stress reliever, and one that I missed while living in our last apartment for 3 years.
This fancy lawn mower has the option for self propelled, which I thought was a great idea! Well, let me tell you what self propelled looks like on this girl. RIDICULOUS! I looked like one of those tiny women you see “walking her dog”, when in all actuality the dog is walking her. At least my neighbor thought I was pretty funny. She sat and watched me the whole time, I knew she must have been entertained. When I finished mowing she just stared at me, then said “Sorry for laughing” I smiled… I like her.
I wanted to head in the house. It was hot and my poor hands developed little blisters all over them, and it hurt to grip the mower. In the back of my head all I could hear was an excerpt from the book I just finished reading The Go-Giver. In the 2nd section the author talks about serving others and how sometimes we can feel foolish while serving. While reading it didn’t really sink in. Then it hit me. I feel foolish flying around my yard, destroying my grass, and tearing up my palms. So I said the words… Marleen, can I mow your lawn as well?
She was delighted at the words, and so she sat back down and watched me fly through her yard. As she sat staring I felt very silly about my inability to control the mower, but I wanted to help her out so she didn’t have to ask someone else to do it. Let me tell you, I felt foolish. I felt downright silly.
Have you ever felt that tug in your heart, like you know you should help someone, but it is just outside of your comfort zone? From helping someone with an armful of items, to taking care of someones kids, to even serving at a local shelter? Often we let fear stop us from serving. It isn’t just fear of looking foolish, it could be fear of not being good enough to serve. It is easy to feel like you aren’t qualified to do something, or you aren’t worthy of it. My guess would be you are more than qualified and more than worthy. Every day we come into contact with people who need served, and it is our job to step up and do the serving.
This week I am challenging you to step outside your comfort zone and serve someone, even if it means feeling foolish. Mother Teresa shared these beautiful words
“Prayer in action is love, and love in action is service. Try to give unconditionally whatever a person needs in the moment. The point is to do something, however small, and show you care through your actions by giving your time … We are all God’s children so it is important to share His gifts. Do not worry about why problems exist in the world – just respond to people’s needs … We feel what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean, but that ocean would be less without that drop.“– Mother Teresa
Feel foolish and go on serving!