The Little Things

Yesterday I wrote about some of my favorite memories of serving in church from my teen years forward. It occurred to me today that at most of the churches I've attended, I've also been a greeter, and I love greeting. 

That, in turn, made me think about all the "little" unofficial ways of serving, whether in church or in life, that may not come with a fancy title, but they are so very important. 

Greeting was one of those jobs for me. I tried to imagine every single person coming through the door was walking in for the first time. I wanted them to know someone saw them, I wanted them to get a free smile right from the start, and I wanted to be approachable enough that if they had any questions, they would feel free to ask. After all, I've been a visitor in a church before, and it's always awkward to feel like you've walked into someone else's club and you aren't sure you belong. 

Ryan and I always tried to be an unofficial greeter in Sunday School, too, anytime we noticed someone new in the room. (Ryan was always very good about inviting people to Sunday School, too, because it can be hard to walk into a classroom alone.) 

Those "little" church jobs matter so much. The person who will go up to the altar to pray with someone who is praying alone. The person who remembers a name and sends a card or social media message to follow up. The person who offers a seat in a row when someone looks lost. 

Churches tend to do a great job of recognizing their valued volunteers. They do awards and recognition for those organized positions where people commit to serve. But I fear some of the unnamed jobs go unnoticed as well as unnamed. That's a shame, because they are SO important.

I've been made freshly aware of this where we work, even. WillowBridge is in a separate location from the rest of Gateway Woods, so we don't see everyone every day. Or even every week. (I'm still learning some names and faces, even!) God has convicted me that I need to pay more conscious attention to what's going on. Send some emails. Write notes. Pray the prayers. Be involved - even from down the road.

The little things matter. They matter at church, at work, and in life. It's okay if what you feel led to do doesn't fit neatly into a committee. Just reach out. Be present however you're able. It matters so much.