a blessing for those who serve others

So bless you all in these beautiful, terrible contradictions.
You who serve others,
knowing it comes at a steep cost.
That time you’ll never get back.
Those people who won’t ever be as grateful as you hope.
The paycheck or PTO or benefits that will never add up to enough.

May you be reminded
that maybe you were called for such a time as this.
To pour out your great, great gifts for the sake of the other.
To work toward this beautiful, terrible interdependence.
(Even if community is much easier in theory than in practice.)

And on the days where you feel
like your work is just a drop in the ocean.
Or you want to throw in the towel
Because you are far beyond burnout.

May joy and delight be yours, my dears,
and may it fuel the hard, beautiful work you do.

And hey, if you are just beginning a move toward service,
may you have the eyes to see the needs in front of you,
the places where your gifts and passions and resources
meet your community’s deep needs.
Or if you’re just starting to ask for help yourself, bless you.
May your courage be met with kindness.

You are all my favorite kinds of people and I love you. Bless you.

Inspired by my conversation with Angela Williams on the Everything Happens Podcast