Adaptability

Our schedule can (and does!) change multiple times a week. Our retreat groups have needs we didn’t (and couldn’t!) anticipate. The weather can change in minutes (thanks, East Texas!)

But we’ve all learned to be quick to accept change and to readjust our plans, thoughts, and actions accordingly. We’ve learned that if you want sleep, you’ve got to get it while you can. If you want peace, you’ve got to seek it out. If you want to drive the truck, you have to call it before anyone else.

You’ve got to be ready and willing for all of it.

This spills over into other situations in my life as well. Learning to adapt has helped me to connect with and love people better because I try to be more understanding and graceful as I learn more about them. It has opened doors for building relationships with those around me.

Being flexible is what serving others is all about. You can’t claim to be a servant if you are unwilling to do even more than is asked of you. Loving people takes a lot of willingness and adaptability but it’s always worth the time and effort it takes.

One example was from a youth group I was managing a few weekends ago. It turned out that the group leader has more set-up needs than I had expected but she assured me that her students could set it up before their first meeting. I decided I could bless them by setting up before the group arrived at the meeting hall and the group leader was floored by my simple gesture. That set the tone for the entire weekend and allowed her to feel loved and cared for.

This is worth it.