Serving with Grand-children
Dn. Shelly Sorem,
Apostles Houston
Why – it is the favorite question of young children. Oftentimes it is asked in rapid succession and the answer to a why questions is followed up with multiple more whys. While this can be exhausting, it can also be a beautiful opportunity. When Apostles Houston offered the opportunity for its congregation to serve their local elementary school by picking up a school supply list, buying a backpack and filling it with the supplies, I saw the beauty of the whys.
I picked up a couple of lists and took them with me when my granddaughter, Adalyn, and I went to pick out her school supplies. I told her we were going to be getting supplies for two other students and she asked, “Why?” I explained that we were getting school supplies for two students whose families couldn’t afford to buy them. “Why?”, she asked. This led to a discussion of how we all have struggles from time to time and right now these families were struggling. “Why?”, was her response. You can see where the conversation went and how it was followed with many more ‘whys’.
On the drive home I told her we had everything we need to fill our Backpacks of Love – which is what this service project was called. She wanted to know why they were called Backpacks of Love. I explained to her that we were loving on our neighborhood elementary school and its students by providing them with supplies they needed. She said, “It’s hard to love someone you haven’t ever met.” I asked her, “What about Jesus?” Her response was she loves Jesus because Jesus loved her first. No greater truth could have come from her mouth – Jesus loved her first. We then talked about how because of Jesus’ love for us we can have love for others and show His love to them and that is what we were doing with our Backpacks of Love. Jesus is the answer to why we do things for others, why we help others and why we pray for others. We then prayed over the backpacks and the students who would receive them.
John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Dn. Shelly Sorem
