From Ashes to Cathedral
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To give service to others is the heart of service to God as a servant of life. But I never made such a connection with my first major role of service as a high school junior. The job? I was a dining-hall checker. Our school was on a government milk program. It received a certain amount of money for every student who ate a meal in the school’s cafeteria each month.
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One evening, another group of students would not stomach the food. They were top student, but underclassmen. A near-riot came out of the scene. I told Jim the ringleader, to come to my room at a certain time to discuss the matter. At the appointed hour, I returned to the dorm to find the hallway outside my room lined with Jim’s friend.
Soon after, I made an appointment with the dean, who was as tough as tough itself. He listened to my request to resign.
“Why?” he asked.
My roommate had connections to a paying job to help our school in a major fund-raising drive. I was offered it. The dean nodded his approval. He knew better than I that my service as dining-hall chairman had been exemplary. He also saw that the new job was an avenue for a more personal growth.
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Many thanks.