finding my role

Three separate folk said exactly the same thing to me this evening.

"You've obviously found your role in life at last!"

We were hosting a meeting here of leaders from some of the different churches round about. And I was serving the coffee and tea.

Hardly that demanding. But it clearly came as something of a surprise for some to see me filling such a role. Though why it should be such a big surprise is really quite beyond me. Isn't this the sort of washing-feet equivalent that Jesus taught us all to be committed to?

The same repeated words, though, made me think. About my role in life. Or, broader still, our roles. Do we simply play a role that others make it clear that they expect of us? Or do we find the role that God has made us for?

It's easy as a present-day disciple of the Lord to feel a certain pressure to conform to how the people round about expect us to conduct ourselves. To play a role which others subtly shape. Instead of figuring out just how the Lord himself desires we should be lving out our lives.

Serving others - nothing less than that - that's pretty much the essence of the role we're given by the Lord. That's what Jesus did. That's how he lived. That was pretty much the 'role' that he assumed.

And all he says is simply Follow me! Like, you serve others too.

It isn't all that complicated really! And it covers mostly everything!

Like serving folk with coffee, tea and biscuits.

I'm a servant. That's the 'role' in life I've found. In fact, I've found more than that: I've found that being a servant is life! That's what it is to be truly alive.

Which takes me back to this morning. I was in at the school. No specific reason. Just touching base. Catching up. Being there with the staff at coffee time.

The head was asking which (if any) classes I was with at present. None, I said. So he took a note and said he'd send reminders to his staff again that I was 'at their service'.

Available. Ready to help, whatever their needs might be.

It was one of those days when I was in and out of the school. Back and forth. It's not that far, of course. A quick five minute walk. The exercise is good and there's usually folk I meet en route.

I was back later on for the start of an SU group in the school. For primary 4s and 5s. There were about as many adults there as children - at least to start with. Four primary 4 girls was how it started off (though it later grew to six).

Numbers are not everything. The fact that it started small was nothing like as important as the fact that it's finally started! It was an exciting day. A kind of 'land-mark' day in some respects.

A day of new beginnings. And all such new beginnings ever are is centred in a willingness to serve.

So, yes, I guess, I've found my role in life all right!