An Email I Received...

I received one of those mass emails from a friend the other day, updating a group of us on what’s been going on in her life the last couple of months. In it she shared the highlights of her quarter so far up at UC Davis. Describing one of her highlights to us she wrote…

I joined a club called Acorn Mentoring Project where every week a group of UCD students go to a lower income neighborhood in Sacramento to work with a group of underprivileged kids. It's been a lot of fun (we play games, do crafts, help with homework, talk about important topics - we had a mock election on election day - etc.) but it's also been quite a challenge. Kids range from ages 4 to 16 and some of them have a lot of attitude (I'm talking about 12 years olds cursing at each other!), so sometimes it's hard to know how to effectively communicate with them, but we're there to provide them with a positive environment.

I have another friend who went down to Nicaragua last winter for a couple of weeks or so. She volunteered as a Spanish translator for American doctors who were down there treating those who otherwise aren’t able to receive medical attention. And last I heard, she's trying to find a way to make it back this winter.

Another friend volunteered with an organization called Best Buddies, where she was matched up with someone with intellectual disabilities. They would hang out one on one, grab dinner together, and take part in events like barbecues or bowling. All of this in hopes of being a friend the person could count on and in doing so bettering their lives.

These are just a few examples of people who, as far as I know, don’t really claim to have a relationship with Jesus, and don’t have that to influence the decisions they make, or what they do with their time.

After I read that email I got to thinking a bit and my whole thing is this…

If I did any of these things, I would feel incredibly self-righteous. Here I am believing we’re called to love those who need it the most, and I can’t see myself doing anything without afterwards feeling this false stamp of approval on my heart and my actions. And then there are people who do truly Good things without ever thinking twice about themselves. Hmm… I’m missing something here.