Picture of a Servant…Miriam
Posted on 23. Jun, 2008 by Josh Agerton in Formation, Uganda
This is Mariam, a 76 year old woman who lives just across from Buloba Community Church in Uganda. After arriving in Buloba our first day she came out onto her front porch and insisted that all 10 of us come into her home for a visit. Once we were all in she made her way to the back of her home and returned with a stalk of sugar cane (the Snickers bar of Uganda).
But beyond her hospitality what makes Mariam so special is that she is unable to walk. She gets around completely by crawling on her hands and knees. It was humbling to sit while she served each of us a cut of sugar cane… chopping it up into bite size pieces like she had done it a thousand times. Then suddenly she crawled off to the back corner of the room.
A few of us looked at each other wondering what she was up to. Then we watched as she pulled back a chair that was hidden away in the corner. After getting it in just the right position she tugged at Hiram’s pants leg, instructing him to sit down. She had gone to get a chair for him so that he would not have to stand. We chewed on sugar can and laughed for about a half an hour while this saint served us. Watching this all happen was a perfect picture of what Paul talks about when he’s writing to the Philippians…
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Phil 2:3-4
We have much to learn from people like Mariam.
andfi
24. Jun, 2008
Scott Fillmer
24. Jun, 2008
We are to busy, to tired, don’t feel like it, or some other of a thousand excuses we come up with all the time, but this woman can serve, and so can we I think. Great post.