In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead…I will show you my faith by my deeds (James 2: 17,18).

James reminds us that Jesus calls us to love all our neighbors all the time.  And there are few better ways to show your love than by putting faith into action. With Chatham Serves right around the corner, I wanted to share a particularly powerful and memorable experience of my own. 

Our project was straightforward.  A local elementary school needed help getting a few of their outdoor common areas cleaned up for the kids.  Trimming, laying fresh mulch, weeding flower beds, and planting were all on the list.  Pretty mundane, and quite frankly dirty tasks. But this would help make the space for our children cleaner, safer, and more beautiful.  

My team was working on trimming and mulching around a few overgrown bushes.  As we got started, we decided this one area needed a little extra love.  Instead of just doing a light touch, we rolled up our sleeves, and started more aggressively trimming back some wild branches, pulling weeds, and tackling the overgrowth.

But as we cut and trimmed back the overgrowth, we found buried in the branches a lovely stone bench.  We felt like we had uncovered something special. I continued to remove more debris and revealed a beautiful brick patio under the bench.  

We cleaned the bricks, and trimmed more overgrowth, following the shape of the small patio.  As we cleared back a couple of larger bushes, we uncovered a wood sign holding a plaque. We discovered that what looked at first like an ordinary clump of large, overgrown bushes was hiding a memorial to a 1st grade student who had passed while battling cancer.

My team stopped working, held by this very powerful moment.  We had come to the school that morning to love our community through relatively mundane service.  We ended by uncovering something very special, and very beautiful.  And the next week at school, the administration, faculty, and students were invited to remember the bright light this child brought during her time at the school.

Since then, the beauty of this space has been maintained, the bench free of debris, and the plaque clearly visible.  And for all of us, it’s a powerful reminder that God is constantly at work in our lives. 

When we say “Yes” to the opportunity to love others and serve our neighbors, beautiful things happen in our communities!

The act of service isn’t always beautiful itself. But Jesus reminds us that service is wonderful expression of his love, and results in beautiful things. Find a place to serve this week.  And as you serve, open yourself up to the ways Jesus might cause your service to create something unexpectedly beautiful.