Serving Others
To the Core: Values that Drive Us
May 27, 2018
This year has flown by so fast that Memorial Day weekend is already here. Memorial Day tends to mark the coming of summer activity and provides the first summer camping trip for many. Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember those who have given their lives in service to our country. I recently read about the tradition of wearing red poppy flowers on Memorial Day. This tradition began shortly after WWI. The seed of the red poppy flower is scattered by the wind and then lays dormant until something disturbs the ground. When the ground is disturbed, the red poppy seed germinates and grows into a large deep red flower. In the war-torn battle fields of France and Belgium, the first sign of new life to bloom after the war was the red poppy flowers. Because of the heavy fighting in these fields, the red poppy seeds germinated at a higher rate than normal. In the fields where terrible loss of life had occurred, now bloomed a blanket of vibrant red flowers. In this beautiful display of new life in these war-torn fields, the red poppy became a symbol of both the fallen soldiers and new life.
As I read about and imagined these fields, it occurred to me that God had designed the red poppy in such a way that it would produce this heart warming and inspiring picture for us. While it might seem like a small comfort in comparison to the loss of life, I am certain God intended this flower and event as an encouragement and comfort to all who lost loved ones in those fields. Imagine it: In a place where God had scattered the seeds of this beautiful flower, the most destructive war up to that point in human history unfolded. This caused the germination of these beautiful flowers to begin and eventually bloom as a reminder that God can produce new life from destruction. It’s like He planned it, letting the red poppy seed lay dormant until it was time to remind us of His goodness.
God has been working on our behalf in small and big ways since before the beginning of time. In fact, in Mark 10:45 Jesus explained His mission was to die for us so that we would have new life. Speaking of Himself, Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” During His ministry on earth, Jesus served many people through healing, feeding, comforting, and teaching them as He lived a life of sacrificial service.
This weekend we are continuing our sermon series on the core values we share at Dayspring. It seems incredibly fitting to me to be teaching on the value of Serving Others on a weekend when we remember those who served and gave all in their service.
Jesus Serves!
-Kap Otten, Elder
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