Perspective and Service

The Nester linked to a great post this morning that really has me thinking...

Husband has the great joy and blessing to get to spend one week during the summer taking his kids here, and also working for them as a manager for a week in our own town.

I wonder what America's teenagers are up to right now. Its summer time and that means as I write this- 10:15 am- that for most teens its "so early". A lot of them will be going to the pool today, going shopping, leaving for a vacation... some of them are probably just getting up because they have to be at their summer job at noon. Some teens are probably 'having' to watch a younger sibling (or two or three or twelve) and not to thrilled about it.

As I write this, 15 of husband's youth group members are preparing to spend the next 9 days doing service in New Orleans. They are giving 9 days of their summer vacation to give to people they will probably never see again, people who for better or worse are in need in some way. These teens are going to sleep on the floor in classrooms at a high school. The high school doesn't have showers, so after spending a day doing service, they'll throw on their swimsuits and go to a carwash to get cleaned up for the day. They'll spend the evening singing and praying and get up and do it all again. They'll go without their cappucinos, cable, myspace, and ipods. They'll move beyond everything that is comfortable and safe and easy and GIVE. And, did I mention that it will cost each of them $300 to go do this? I should probably also throw out that they have to spend 18 hours on a bus to get there.

So, as my husband prepares to have his last 'hurrah' with these kids, I pray for him and the teens, I pray for the people they will be serving, and I pray that their acts of humble service will lead others to give of themselves too.