Sense of Joy Through Service
Offering service or assistance to others is a vital part of feeling human. Feeling that you have something to offer to the world in return for what you have received is a key part of a fulfilling life.
Think of the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. The Sea of Galilee receives fresh water and also gives fresh water to other areas and it remains a fresh body of water supporting life. The Dead Sea receives fresh water but doesn't give (other than a function of evaporation) and as a result it loses its freshness. It loses its life sustaining capacity. It is dead.
The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea are made of the same water. It flows down, clean and cool, from the heights of Herman and the roots of the cedars of Lebanon. the Sea of Galilee makes beauty of it, the Sea of Galilee has an outlet. It gets to give. It gathers in its riches that it may pour them out again to fertilize the Jordan plain. But the Dead Sea with the same water makes horror. For the Dead Sea has no outlet. It gets to keep.
The evaporation process would be like doing only those things that are required. To increase the fulfillment in this area we need to develop a greater sensitivity to our own capacity to be of service to others and then render that service.
Because giving service can sometimes cause resentment or a sense of entitlement it is important to determine if our service is motivated by love or fear. Love must drive our choices and actions in order to experience fulfillment in service. Choices made from a place of love will allow us to experience a sense of abundance. Choices made from a place of fear lead to feelings of scarcity and deprivation. (For example, I have to volunteer for the PTA, even though I don't really want to do it and I don't have time to do it, because if I don't volunteer everyone will think I'm a bad mother.) If your actions are based on fear look for the roots of it. [Trigger prevention sheets will help with finding these roots.]
For today, try cultivating an appreciation for the abundance of the universe and the abundance in your own life. Then think of something you can do to offer service that is motivated by love. It can be something simple, like reaching out to a friend to let them know you are thinking of them, listening to a child, writing a thank you note to someone who was thoughtful to you, etc. See what this kind of action does for your level of fulfillment in life.
To get you started in thinking about the abundance of the universe, here is a quote from John Eldredge in Beautiful Outlaw
“What do we make of the gift of water? You can swim in it, but also float upon it. You can drink it and surf it. Droplets fall from the sky in staggering abundance, yet it also flows in streams and rivers. It makes one sound as a brook, another as a waterfall, and something else entirely together in the silence of snow. This extravagance is almost scandalous.”
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