Importance of Service

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: one of the fastest ways to grow – to change – is to put yourself in an environment that’s uncomfortable. All of college has been uncomfortable. Service has been uncomfortable. Volunteering in the Dominican Republic with a bunch of people I barely knew was unfomfortable. Striking up conversations with those on parole that I was building a house with was uncomfortable. Refusing to shop somewhere because you know how unjust it is is uncomfortable. But I’ve grown so much because of these opportunities.

I’ve built relationships, seen through other people’s eyes, and gained a greater understanding and appreciation for the world around me. I talked in my last entry about how although service is hard, I have found a place in this mess called humanity and have found a way to make it a little brighter. I still stand by that. Service is hard, and it’s uncomfortable, but I’ve grown so much becuase of it.

I still remember some of those experiences from so long ago. I remember working with a few college students in setting up lights for a local high school production of The Little Mermaid. I remember those many days with RLC at Habitat for Humanity. I remember so many of the connections and conversations I have made from volunteering in Holy Grounds. So much of this has stuck with me, and always will. Service is as much a part of me now as breathing.

So there’s no way I’m planning on graduating and forgetting everything I’ve learned. No, service will always be an important piece of my heartbeat. I don’t know what it will look like, but I’m excited to see what opportunities I find to help others. Already, I have the opportunity to serve as a translator in Guatemala this summer with the First United Methodist Church. I couldn’t be more excited, and more grateful to the Wesley Service Scholar program for giving me the growth I needed to get me to this point.

I can’t wait to see where life takes us next.

As always, best of luck in the real world and God bless,

~XTopher