To sit, or not to sit

I am babysitting tonight.

A friend of mine who is the pastor of a local Church called and asked for help.  He is having meetings this weekend that requires everyone to attend so he needs sitters.  I know that I should delegate so that others would have the opportunity to serve, and I did send out an email to the congregation, but…I’m still going to babysit.  I could do it to be an example to others, or to shame some into service, or to impress some, but… I’m just going to babysit.  Why?

Some years ago I was invited to an event honoring a missiologist named Harvey Kahn.  He was a faithful missionary and teacher of missions who influenced many.  There was a large crowd of pastors and others in attendance.  After the dinner and testimonials it came to the time for the presentation of a plaque of some sort or other, but there was a problem… Harvey Kahn was nowhere to be found.  They looked in all of the likely places; bathrooms, sanctuary (he must be praying), offices, outside… but he wasn’t in any of those.  When they finally located him they were surprised to find that he was in the kitchen.  He was washing the dishes from his own testimonial dinner.  When I found out I turned to my wife and said, “When I grow up I want to be Harvey Kahn.”

Maybe I’ve grown up a little. I’d like to believe so.