My ministry in the Boutique
Have you ever borrowed an item of clothing and you go to lunch with your besties and you’re all together having a wonderful time? There’s laughter and lots of conversation and you’re lost in the moment, then to finish off this glorious time you order a cappuccino. The cup was filled to overflowing and it drips onto that borrowed piece of clothing.
Immediately you excuse yourself as a little panic creeps in, and in the bathroom you attempt to wash it out but for some reason it just gets worse. Now you need to go home and soak it or even take it to the dry cleaners for spot removal. Your wonderful day ended in disaster. That’s something to ponder as I tell you what I’m doing here on the base as Sandor attends the Writing School.
When I arrived I put my name down for base services. I was willing to do whatever I was asked to do. The first few days on base were spent wandering around meeting other staff and students and checking out the campus.
I wandered over to what the campus calls the Boutique. It’s a space where students/staff and families can get their needs met. Then there’s a larger space called the Dropbox where people bring the items they can’t carry when they move on.
I met the lady who was in charge. Lovely Lynda, a Filipino woman who had been looking after both the Dropbox and the Boutique for 4 years. As we would say she was part of the furniture, loved by all, full of wisdom and grace. She asked me to help her in the Boutique and I was happy to. I let services know and they agreed it was a good fit for me.
Glamorous it is not. Sorting through old clothes and articles that get thrown into bags as the students or families are leaving that have not been sorted or cleaned due to the turnaround base times. However the boutique is a ministry that benefits everyone from the young to the old. That’s because, unlike a traditional second hand store, everything in the Boutique is free for staff or students.
With everything you do unto God there is an opportunity to learn His great truths. As I sort the clothes, linen, articles, and toys, I look for stains and tears, rust and holes, and those items are discarded and only the clean ones are kept.
It reminds me of the Old Testament and the Temple sacrifices. The lambs were to be pure without blemish or spot. It also reminds me that Jesus our sacrifice was the spotless lamb, pure without blemish. As I discard clothes and articles I’m reminded to be thankful and grateful for what God has done when He sent His Son Jesus to die for us all.
Live your life in a continual attitude of joy.
Live your life in constant communication with God.
Live your life showing gratitude in all circumstances.
Loving you all
