And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us
full of grace and truth.
We have beheld his glory,
glory as of the only Son from the Father.
                                                                                  -John 1:14   (Revised Standard Version)

A Uniform Matter:  Fall at the Retreat Center

During the month of October it gets really busy at the Christian retreat center that I work at as a housekeeper. Our center is a popular destination in the North Carolina mountains. As the fall air becomes clear and crisp and the leaves turn to gold, orange, and red, our rooms fill up--and our housekeeper's workload gets stretched to the limit. Our daily housekeeper's room list, showing which rooms we each need to clean, gets long enough to almost seem overwhelming.

Yet, first and foremost, we and the other employees work in all the ways we can to be good hosts for the guests who are visiting us. Our Management leads the way by helping our staff be good hosts. It doesn't matter what job position someone holds at the Center; the emphasis for each and every one is on hospitality and the ministry aspect of servant work.

Last week, October 12-16, I saw things get taken up a notch. That was when we looked up as we were working and saw our management team wearing the regular uniforms of housekeepers, pitching in to help out. I can't begin to say what an impact that had on me as a worker. It reminded me immediately of what Jesus had done when he came to earth. He had taken on the “uniformity” of humans.

Jesus became fully human and fully divine. I was able to relate to his fully human aspect last week because of what our management had done. The ladies on the management team have no idea how much of an impression they have made on me by putting on the regular housekeeper's uniform and helping with all we had to do. They modeled Jesus! I needed that reminder during the extremely busy week.
Our work as housekeepers may seem ordinary but what we do is important, making a real impact on our guests and our co-workers as well. Who would have thought that something so simple such as putting on a uniform would have such a huge impact?

Jesus is around us today. We only need to look, listen, and be available to his presence.

Prayer: Loving God, thank you for sending your son Jesus to dwell among us.  As Jesus wore a servant's heart and taught us through his actions and his love, help us to do likewise.  Thank you for those who model Jesus' teachings to us.  Please help us each to show servant leadership and hospitality to all we meet.  For it is in Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Marci McGowan is a member of First Christian Church in Asheville, North Carolina and a regular at DisciplesNet Church, contributing in many ways, including her devotionals.

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