Inasmuch

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me." Matthew 25:40

Our church has hosted a local, community-wide mission day for the past 7 years. My agency has benefited repeatedly from the sweat and dedication of our congregation. This year we decided Max was old enough to participate in the project with us since it was at my office. 

"When can I come play with toys at your office?" begs Max on a regular basis. We tried to prepare him that the day was about working, not playing. After introducing the other group members to the train table in the waiting room, Max set to work pulling weeds. 

There was also a lot of organizing to be done in the warehouse, which involved taking clothes off hangers and separating clothes. Who knew hanger disposal would be such a big hit ?

Max gleefully informed us later that he sometimes put the boy clothes in the girl pile!

As a parent, I was filled with gratitude, and yes, pride, to see Max enthusiastically engaged in the tasks. He worked diligently while he was there and took such delight in being a helper. It made me very happy to see our son giving of himself to assist the other children I care for- my clients. Then I thought of how God must also delight in seeing us (His children) working to help one another. The day also led to several important conversations with Max about inequity, service, and faith.

On our way to school a few days after the project Max asked me if I was going to work. This time he asked, "When can I come back to your office and pull some more weeds?"

Thank you, God, for giving him a heart for caring.