The Wonder of Service and the Ensnaring Power of Lies
A Transformative Journey.
Several months into my recovery from an eating disorder, I began volunteering at an assisted living facility. One day, I vividly recall crying on my way there, feeling incredibly uncomfortable in my own body and overwhelmed by negative self-talk. When I arrived, I sat in my car, forcing a smile until I was confident no one could tell I had been crying. As I walked into the facility, mentally degrading myself for what I had eaten for lunch, I ran into Bob.
Discovering Joy Through Service and Connection A Transformative Journey
Bob was in his 80s and had just received a new used iPhone. He sat me down and asked for my help to “understand this impossible contraption.” I walked Bob through the basics, and he caught on quickly. Then he discovered FaceTime. To demonstrate this magic, I sent Bob to another area where he couldn't see me and instructed him to hit the FaceTime button once he was out of sight. I wish I could show you the joy on Bob’s face when he saw me on his iPhone screen. He ran (as fast as an 80+ year-old man can run) back to me, still on FaceTime, exclaiming he never knew that was possible.
We practiced FaceTiming several more times from different spots, and Bob couldn’t help but excitedly shared his new discovery with everyone at the facility. It was a moment I will never forget for a few reasons: the joy on Bob’s face was like a child opening his most requested Christmas present, and I realized, as I walked back to my car, that somehow my worries and criticalness about myself had faded into the background. I had shifted from panicking and agonizing about my appearance to caring and laughing with Bob as he discovered FaceTime.
The Essence of True Humility
Timothy Keller once said, “The essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less." In moments like these, surrounded by wrinkled hands and wobbly knees, I realized the truth of this. I felt most humble and connected to my true life’s purpose in sharing the love of God when I wasn't thinking of myself at all.