Service for Others

On October 8, 2000, my grand-mother, Mrs. Ly Ba Hoi, passed away at the age of 85. As I attended the funeral, I met many family members and friends who remembered and spoke of how much my grand-mother cared and loved people. She was a devoted wife and mother, raising eight children and caring for many others. She always remembered the birthdays of all her children, grand-children, and even great-grand-children, and took extra effort to make the holidays a special time. She served the Lord at the Seventh-day Adventist School in Saigon, Vietnam as the Dean of Women in the nursing branch, and as the kindergarten teacher.
When she came to the United States in 1975, she worked at a rest home until she was 80 years old, taking care of many residents younger than herself. She wanted to work so she could have money to send to Bible workers and the less fortunate in Vietnam. She answered questions for students of the Bible correspondence school at the Voice of Prophecy, and she wrote many letters of comfort and cheer to the discouraged. During her lifetime, she wrote hundreds of poems to uplift and bless those around her. She lived a full life, and left a legacy of love and service for others.
As I think of my grand-mother and her example, I wonder, what will be said of my life? How can I be of service to God and others? In Galations 6:10 it says, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men. . .” There is a great blessing in doing good for others. Not only can we be of help, but we can be a witness to the love of our Father in Heaven. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
When we help our neighbors and those less fortunate, we are actually serving our Heavenly Father. At the end of time God will bless and reward us because we were willing to share with others. “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25: 34-40).
Let us all live each day to the fullest and always be ready to comfort and be a blessing to others. It will be so wonderful to hear our Lord say to us at the close of time, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:21).
Ly Lan Nguyen