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.
