Shhhh

When it comes to the kids at Covenant House, I like to do "extra"...baking brownies or cookies, sending a birthday card to a kid that left us 8 years ago I still keep in touch with, staying late to talk through a problem, making sure I smell good when I go to jail to break up the drudgery of "jail odors", driving back to the office when I'm halfway home because some worried kid wondered if he left his cell phone there...I also used to (brag? inform? make it well known?) that I rarely sought reimbursement for a lot of stuff I'd get for the kids ("Oh, I'm sure I've spent thousands out of my own pocket over the years!") Yay for me...wahoo...yeah...

I used to strive for "thank you"s from the kids or kudos from the staff ("Oh, Jen, you are so devoted to these kids!")...but a few years ago I read this in a devotional called "A Life God Rewards" and it changed my perspective:

(from Matthew 6)-"Do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them, otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven".

(from the devotional)-"Do your good work in such a way that you are unnoticed and God gets the glory. Secrecy is one of the most profound theological statements we can make. It is acting on the belief that the reward of God matters more than the reward of man. Hide from yourself that which you yourself have done that's commendable; for the proud contemplation of your own generosity may tarnish your alms. Let God be present and you'll have enough of an audience".

I certainly don't live this out perfectly but I have cherished this challenge since I read it and try to work for God's praise, not man's. Recently someone said to me,"All your work makes "so n so" look good--you're not getting acknowledged at all"...and I replied,"I don't need any acknowledgement. I'll get my well done later"...it was good to be able to say it and mean it.