Disney Customer Service Keynote Speaker
Five daily blogs about life's 5 big choices on five different sites.
Dear Son, as you watch me and your Mother today at Church, know that volunteering time to serve others is part of our obligation as believers.
As I Lector this morning, try to remember the story I’ve told you many times, as it was first told to me by another Holy Family volunteer.
“You may think you are simply doing “a reading’, but for nearly everyone in the pews, you are the only scripture they will hear all week. Don’t read. Proclaim God’s Holy Word!”
Next Blog
We have teachable moments all the time. Most of them pass by too quickly to be noticed.
A decade ago, I volunteered to become a Church Lector, figuring my new role as a Professional Speaker would add value to the Church.
A year or so into it, we had a formal training class and one of the volunteers got up and made a statement that I’ll never forget.
“You may think you are simply doing a reading, but you are actually proclaiming God’s Holy Word. This may be the only scripture much of our congregation gets all week.”
Rather than judge others, I’ve promised God to do the best with the 60 – 90 seconds He gives me once or twice a month.
At 8:45AM Mass this morning, I hope it’s God’s voice they hear and not mine.
And so is every other day.
Today’s preparations include the usual:
We leave in less than an hour, and by 9:00AM, I’ll be standing in front of nearly 1,500 Parishioners at Holy Family Catholic Church.
As a Lector (reader), I will speak God’s Holy Word to them. It’s over in less than two minutes.
It may be the only scripture they hear all week.
Can you comprehend this?
All week.
This is all they’ll get.
Sunday is what you make it.
And so is every moment of every day.
Where do you volunteer? Presumptuous of me to think you volunteer, right? Maybe. Maybe not.
You do volunteer, don’t you? Not judging anyone, simply assuming everyone does something, no matter how big or how small.
When I look at volunteer opportunities, there are a few criteria:
This morning is a perfect example. I’ll be reading as a Lector, and Cheryl will act as a Minister of Holy Communion.
Our son (9) has seen us do this once or twice a month for his entire life.
We also have him place our offertory envelope in the collection plate every week. He knows how much money we give.
When he gets older, we are confident that our actions will instill in him a duty to serve others with his time, talent and treasure.
Do you ever think about the messages you send to your children, or the young people in your lives if you have no children?
“Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.” –Einstein
So I get to Church yesterday morning and panicked realized I’m not Lectoring until next Sunday. Oh well, chalk one up (another one actually) to being crazy busy.
Wouldn’t trade it for anything though. There are others among us, and you may be one of them, who have far greater things on your mind, or on your heart.
The Fort Hood shootings, the Orlando shootings, a friend undergoing brain surgery (again) for brain cancer, an ache that won’t go away.
Far from perfect, I still try to do my best every day. Do you find yourself trying really hard? Every day?
Do you find the courage to not give up? The strength to not give in? Do you find it?
Today, let’s not only lift others up in prayer, but why not lift ourselves up as well. What could it hurt? Carpe diem.