Service to others in Bolivia

Son's death leads couple on a mission | tennessean.com | The Tennessean

Here is a parallel to our situation. A couple who drops all (except the books) and heads off to another part of the world to give service. Note that education is probably where their efforts will be placed. Fortunately in their case they have a para-church organization to support them. Too bad that most churches don't have a similar service organization. As Joel says "if you really want to do something, you better get on with it." And echoed back by his wife "don't wait for a committee to figure out how to do the dishes...."

The impulse to service comes from a variety of sources. In this story the shock of losing one's son triggered a process. In others it may be what charismatics call "second baptism" leading to service. In our case it was a bit of both: a) the jolt of losing five fraternity friends in a car accident in the fall of 1971 pushed us to enter the Peace Corps in Ecuador in 1972; b) an undeniable spiritual experience in 1997 pushed us to drop everything (except the books!) including house, careers, cars, friendships, (Tex-Mex food), and eventually even health insurance.

So, dear reader, don't wait to be hit by a 2X4 to knock you out of your comfort zone. Listen to that inner voice and look at how you can make a difference in the world.