Samuel: the heart of a servant

Today I asked Samuel to take out the crock with the smelly, starting to decompose compost from the kitchen.  No one likes that job.  Everybody hates it because instead of taking it out every day, we tend to procrastinate and wait until the crock is completely full.  So I asked Samuel to take it out.  I didn't feel like having any back talking or listening to any whining.  (Don't worry - I will ask the kids who back talk or whine as well - but today I didn't.)  Here is a picture of Samuel taking it to the spot in the edge of the woods where we dump our compost:

Samuel is my servant son.  He is quick to obey without whining or back talking, even when it's not his favorite job.  Don't get me wrong, there are still times that he drives me crazy (like yesterday when he took over 6 hours - 6 HOURS! - to complete one day's math assignment.)  But overall, when I ask him to do something specific to help me out, he does it.  And this is from a 12 year old!  So I find myself, on days when I am weary, choosing to ask Samuel for help.  Help your little brother go to the bathroom and wash his hands... help me fill the water bottles before we go to soccer practice...

Last night when I backed the van out of the garage, I saw toys that were on Sean's side of the garage.  I stopped the van.  "Somebody get those toys put away so Dad doesn't run over them, " I directed.  Who jumped out of the van and put away the toys right away?  Samuel.  (He hadn't even been out there playing with the toys earlier; he had been inside working on that dreaded math assignment.)  Just another example of how he is quick to serve others.

Samuel has a servant's heart.  You might think that doesn't sound good - after all, who wants to be a servant?  It's not something you would normally think to put on a resume as a strength.  But having a servant's heart isn't a bad thing.  Jesus said that we should have a servant's heart.  And then He showed what that looked like by first washing his disciples feet and then by dying on the cross for each of us.  (Neither of which He deserved to do.)

Samuel's response to my requests makes me think about my heart.  There are lots of times when I don't have a servant's heart.  I want others to do things for me.  I think I deserve certain things, that I have certain rights (after all, I am an American, right?)  But then I think of Samuel, who actually reflects Jesus' heart in his service to me and others.  And I realize that I really want to have that type of heart, willing to put others before myself, to give for the benefit others.  How about you?  Do you find yourself having a servant's heart?  Or do you have someone in your life who reflects Jesus' servant heart?