When I graduated from Northland Baptist Bible College now known as Northland University many years ago, each graduate was handed a towel that says "Be Great, Serve". Northland pushed service from day one so the towel was a reminder for each graduate as we left the teaching, preaching, and leadership that we had daily. For years, this towel was laid out in my home as a reminder of what my life should be. Quite a few years ago, though, I packed it away because it just didn't have a place. Recently, though, it has come back as my almamater when through some shaky days and some drastic changes. I was reminded of what I was taught and what I loved about my time at the school. Now, I'm proud to say, that my brother, Ken, is on the board of the school and through him I see great potential for the school to impact so many lives in the coming years.
Back to the towel. Why did I pull it back out? In the midst of a not so fun day at home with the kids, I was ready to "throw in the towel" as a little voice spoke in the back of my mind saying, "Jackie, be great. Serve. Who are you to serve right now". Talk about conviction?? Wow. I looked at those two little faces and realized that I needed to serve my kids. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean that I am to be their servant to do their every wish and command but, rather, I am there to serve them.
I then went digging and found this towel and set it in a prominent space in my dining room where I walk by it every day, all day long. I added a photo of my boys (I've actually put a 5x7 photo of them in place of the 8x10) as a constant reminder of who I am to serve in this season of life. As I've changed my focus I've found that my days are easier; on the days that aren't, I take a lot of deep breaths and say to myself, "Be great. Serve, Jackie, that's all" :-)
