June 4. You Want Me To Get Wet?

Organizations deliver products and services. They might deliver to other organizations, to individuals or both. Regardless of the model, they are concerned about customer service. We can ask what our customer service approach is. Do we have a wait and serve approach, or do we have a serve approach?

Often, I find that as a customer, it is easy to notice the companies or even employees that have a serve approach. Those companies greet you. They meet you. They ask questions and they come to you. Coming to you does not have to be intrusive though.

But often the concern of being intrusive is what begins to push back or suppress the efforts to serve. We do not want to scare them off so let us just allow them to tell us when they want us. That is one thing that we might tell ourselves.

It is the skills of the customer service people that know how and when to move forward with our clients. Where is your customer service team the best at serving? Where is your customer service team in need of training and improvement?

Being in service requires training and an intervention to overcome the basic human survival instincts to protect us individually. Serving others requires an intervention to get started. What is the first thing that you might be able to do about it in the next seven days?

 In 2 Samuel 1:15-18, we read about King David's return after Absalom's death. These passages show some different ways that people might serve. The king is returning, and the passage is focused on him arriving at the river. Some had to be asked to assist the king with the crossing and bring him back.

But they did not even reach out to acknowledge the king at first, let alone serve him. Some came to be ready to be in service and awaited the king to show up. But there were a few that ran into the river, inconvenienced themselves by getting wet to serve. It is humbling when someone loves us that much through Christ.

It says that they crossed the shallows, helping him in every way that they could. Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we getting wet? Are we getting in the water to help in every way that we can? I recall so many passages where Jesus gave the example to serve, to heal, and to feed.

Yes, even when it is inconvenient. Our inconvenience is a gift of love regardless of the level of wetness. One might wash their hands, get sprinkled on, pull someone out of the bog, or wade into the waters. Where might you get "in the water" this week?

Getting a little wet can bring relief from living in the dryness of the desert. What is the first thing you can do in the next seven days to get wet?

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, thank you for the gifts and talents that we all have. Help us over the coming days, weeks, and months to be in service for you. May we get into the river deeper than we ever have before to honor you. Comfort us as the water might be uncomfortable but allow us to serve you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen,