The Bible calls us to serve God and one of the best ways to do so is by serving others.
Acts 20:35 says, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
We are all given the unique opportunity this weekend to serve families that are facing the loss of a parent. Each one of you is going to play a role in creating lifelong memories. I can attest to this from experience. My father was diagnosed with ALS in 2015 and passed away in 2020. My family and I were served on a Legacy Retreat® in Orlando in 2017. We have plenty of memories but there is one that particularly sticks out to me. My dad was in a fulltime power wheelchair at the time but he told our two volunteers that he wanted to go on the Space Mountain roller coaster. Our volunteers literally picked him up and set him on the roller coaster. Jon (one of the volunteers) sat behind him and held his head throughout the ride. My siblings and I could not believe that happened. It is a good memory that I will never forget.
Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Not only do we have the chance to create memories for these families. We also get to show the love and grace of our Lord and Savior through us. We get to demonstrate God’s love through our actions and how we serve. Take advantage of moments to plant seeds that we may or may not get to see flourish. God is going to work wonders through each one of us and I’m excited to see it happen.
Micah Douglas was served on an Inheritance of Hope Legacy Retreat® in 2017 with his family and is now an IoH Volunteer. He originally shared this devotional with the St. Louis Legacy Retreat® Team in July 2023.
