Last week I listened to an interesting conversation
between a supervisor and an employee at our local 3 Bears store. The man at the cash register asked about who
was working. The supervisor replied that
there were not enough people to cover the jobs and there was no one else to
call. He did not complain. He just shook his head and went back to
work. She also went back to the office
to keep working. The employees of this
grocery store, and many others, are giving above and beyond to serve our
community.
I was called in last week to substitute teach a fifth
grade class at Butte Elementary. Our son
serves as principal at this school. Josh’s
administrative assistant was extremely happy that I agreed to teach. She shared with me that many teachers and
staff have been ill, and the school has had real trouble getting people to fill
in. She related that our son, while
being principal, has filled in as a teacher, as an aid, in the office of school
nurse, and even in the food service. I also
learned that Josh’s administrative assistant has served in a classroom when no
one else could be found. I hear similar
stories from other local teachers. Our
educators are giving above and beyond to serve our community.
My wife serves as
a part time nurse at Mat-Su Regional. Kathy
has worked in the pre-op section of the surgery department for over 10
years. But that department has not been
calling her to serve very often. Kathy has,
nevertheless, been called in to work quite a bit lately. She served as a “nurse extender” in the
Intensive Care Unit and on the Medical Surgical floor. Kathy describes how the floors of the
hospital are full and that staffing is short.
Workers are doing extra shifts and filling in where they don’t normally
work. The workers are tired and
drained. When Kathy comes home she is
drained. I have heard the same story
from local physiciians. Our health
care workers are giving above and beyond to serve our community.
One of our
favorite local restaurants, The Noisy Goose, has recently been closed for it’s
normal evening meal because of staff shortage (though I hear that it is now
open again). In addition, on September 4
we took a day trip to Talkeetna with my sister and brother-in-law, and we ate
at the Denali Brewpub. There was a
pretty long wait to get seated, so we put our name on the waiting list and
walked around town. When we did sit down
we noticed a sign which read something like this. “This has been an extremely trying year. Our owner workers are doing their best to
serve you. We will treat you with
respect and in turn we expect to be treated with respect. Those not doing so will be asked to leave.” We wondered what kind of treatment the
workers had faced so that the restaurant had to post this sign. And, we did see some people waiting in line who
were acting impatiently and rudely. The owners
and cooks and servers in the restaurant business are giving above and beyond to
serve our community.
Last
Sunday, September 19, the Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost, Jesus taught His
disciples in the Gospel Lesson, ". . . If anyone wants to be
first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." (Mark 9:35) Jesus calls His followers to live a servant
life. Yet, at times it seems difficult
to find people in our world with a servant attitude. However, I am growing more thankful at being served
in an uncommon way.
Of course, the greatest servant of all is Jesus. After a dispute among His disciples, Jesus
taught, “26 . . . whoever wants to become great among you
must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--28
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his
life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:26-28) Jesus, the Son of GOD, and the Son of Man,
served us by leaving heaven and coming to earth. Jesus served us by living an obedient and
righteous life, for us. The Son of God
Himself served us by knowingly suffering and dying to pay for our selfishness
and sin. He calls us to follow Him with
servant attitudes.
With all the confusion around us because of the
coronavirus, and the effect of the pandemic on our culture and the economy, it
would be understandable for the workers who are going above and beyond to just
give up. In many ways, what they are
asked to do is considered almost unfair.
Imagine where we would be if they did quit working! I am thankful for the giving attitude of
service from these workers, of their giving themselves for others. Their service points me to the one who faced
total injustice and yet served willingly to save us. “28 .
. . the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his
life as a ransom for many."
A Child of God, Thankful
for Selfless Service from Today’s Workers, and From my Savior!
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. Here is the sign we saw at the Denali Brewpub in Talkeetna on September 4. https://photos.app.goo.gl/ixeXTMyu5YnWYxyq5
P.P.S. I have been having issues recently with
knowing who receives the e-mail for this devotion. I have heard from a number of folks they have
not received my e-mails with the devotions.
Spam protection does delete many e-mail messages from my inbox,
including some I want to receive.
Perhaps that is happening to you.
Also, I always try to send the
devotion BLIND Courtesy Copy. My recent devotion
correction was not sent that way. I’m sorry for my lack of attention to that detail
on Monday.
P.P.P.S.
ALERT – NO FISH! I often post fish pictures after fishing
trips. Perhaps I give the impression I
always catch fish. That is not the
case. My hobby is called “fishing” not
“catching.” After preaching at Funny
River Community Lutheran Church on the Kenai Peninsula I went fishing on Monday
with friend and St. John Member, Gerry Zellar.
We fished for about 4 hours without a bite. But, we still enjoyed being outdoors on the
river. We did see a pair of seals far
upriver from Cook Inlet. Here are a few
pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/Xzna4Xyj42hno6iA9
P.P.P.P.S. For those outside Alaska, you might be
interested that fall is here, and winter is coming quickly. We have had weather to alert us to this
reality recently. Here are a few
pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/r8Jj8pmHennatwLU8
*****
ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I retired at
the end of August 2019 from serving as senior pastor of St. John Lutheran
Church in Palmer, AK. I was writing a weekly devotion previously
entitled, "Thoughts from the Pastor." When I retired
many asked me to continue writing these devotions. So I have continued
writing. However, with life's changes I now call this weekly devotion "Journeys
Through Life as a Child of God." Since I am no longer senior
pastor at St. John, I felt it right to only send this message to those who
asked to receive it. (Though I am now serving again part-time at St. John
as assistant to the pastor.)
So, if you stopped receiving these devotions and wondered why, now you
understand. And, if you are now receiving these devotions and do not wish
to receive them, please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove your name from my
distribution list. My e-mail address is jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer is that these devotions help each of you in your daily walk with our
Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan Rockey
Child of God
Husband, Father,
Son, Grandfather
Pastor Emeritus,
St. John Lutheran Church
E-Mail: jonrock53@mtaonline.net
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