A Smell She Would Never Forget

Before the death of my uncle, my aunt would occasionally tell stories about her life as a child. Born in Korea, her life had been turned upside down as a small child during the Korean War. Her life had been spared thanks to a stranger… she had been saved by a US soldier. She would only meet him once. But there was one thing she would never forget. It was in the early 50's when a barrage of artillery destroyed her village. It was being overrun by the North Korean Communist Army near the 38^th parallel. Her father, the mayor of the small community, yelled out to her amidst the chaos and demanded she trust the young strangers dressed in green. She talked about how she could do little more than stand and cry as she was so paralyzed with fear when one of the strangers dressed in green appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her. She tried to fight him but he was too strong and he carried her for what seemed an eternity. This only terrified her more as the heavily armed man carried her further while speaking to her in a language that she did not understand. All around her was death and destruction. You would have to hear her tell the story for yourself to understand the passion by which she spoke. As traumatic as the whole ordeal was, she later realized that it was that soldier and his platoon who had saved her life. A group of strangers had appeared out of nowhere, carried her to safety and protected her and her family. She's always wanted to meet the man whose hands she learned were trying to help her not hurt her. She said the only thing she could remember of that day was the smell of sweat that came from the soldier who had carried her to safety - a smell she said she would never forget and would love forever.

I promised that I would post my notes from this weekend's message, but as I reviewed them one more time, I couldn't help but to stop and give thanks for those in our country who truly serve by putting their lives in harm's way so we can live lives that are safe. After the death of my uncle, my aunt moved back to Korea and I have not seen her since… but I will never forget her story.

Relationships for Dummies – Serve

Gal 5:13 "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love."

1. My faith, beliefs, and devotion are evident in how I serve others.

Jdg 2:19 "But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways."

2. To serve means to commit whole heartedly.

Jos 24:14 "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD."

Serve with all faithfulness – to be driven by a heart that has been enslaved by sincerity

3. To truly serve does not mean to serve the things man does or to follow a crowd.

Jos 24:15 "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

4. Everyone is told to serve, but some have a special gift to serve.

Eph 6:7-8 "Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free."

Ro 12:6-8 "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."

Col 3:23-24 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

5. A person who serves will always find favor.

Pr 22:29 "Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men."