To Slave or Not to Slave?

I have spent the last year at home with my beautiful baby, meeting her every need as best I can. And I can tell you, serving another person all day every day may just have led me to believe I deserve a pretty high place of honour myself. But as a new mom, I also know that burnout is not far around the corner when I ignore my own needs.

So, instead of focusing on serving others, rather than being served, I would like to ask what does it mean to be “slave of all” in this day and age? This is different than attempting to selflessly serve my little one 24/7. Perhaps it has something to do with seeing the bigger picture? Something to do with recognizing that my actions affect others? Maybe it includes turning off the tap while I brush my teeth, taking out the compost, washing those cloth diapers (making my husband wash them), sharing my baby’s smiles with those we encounter? Maybe, in today’s terms, being “slave of all” means thinking globally and acting locally-being, as they say, “glocal.”

What does it mean for you?

Guiding Spirit, help us to discern how to best live in service to others, that we might follow the example of Jesus. Amen. — RL