Who's the real winner?

I returned last week from a nine-day trip
to New Orleans with 14 BU athletes. We lived and worked in St. Bernard Parish, which the government declared 100% destroyed after Katrina, the most destruction on record in US history! About 1/3 of the residents have rebuilt their homes and returned, but even for these folks, most of their once-proud community beyond their physical houses is still in a state of disrepair.

I was so proud of our students, as they applied the strength and work ethic they've gained as varsity athletes to the work of rebuilding this community. The work was often not glamorous, but they devoted their full energy to it, without reservation or complaints of any kind. By the week's end, public parks had become usable for the first time since Katrina, and a new skate park and arcarde were ready for use by area children.

A local family tearfully told us how much it meant to them that they could now resume their tradition of weekly picnics in the park after a nearly three-year hiatus. They told us how grateful they were that their kids now have something fun to do outside the home. And they expressed that our team's mere presence their provided hope and encouragement in the midst of the dreary and wearisome process of rebuilding their Parish.

The students' hard work was clearly a blessing to those they served. And yet it's funny.... as we've returned to campus, all the athletes can talk about is how much THEY were blessed, how THEY experienced renewal in their lives, how grateful THEY are for the experience of serving.

By now I've led over a dozen teams of students on service projects in struggling parts of our nation and abroad. And every time, those who go to serve come back saying how they gained more than they gave.

I cherish these opportunities to build relationships between college students and those less fortunate. I marvel at the mutuality of blessing. In some ways it's counter-intuitive that those "serving" would end up feeling as though they've been served.

But this dynamic makes perfect sense in Jesus' kingdom, a realm in which he describes folks gaining true life by giving their lives away; a realm in which God uses the weak to show His glory to the strong; a realm in which greatness comes through being a servant, and glory through humility. The ways of Jesus' kingdom don't always make sense on paper, but they came alive to me and made perfect sense in St. Bernard Parish.

Paul

ps--the week in New Orleans was FULL of dynamic spiritual conversations between me and the athletes. Please pray for the continuation of these conversations back on campus!