In the fall, Bob and I travelled to West Virginia to be a part of the West Virginia School of Preaching Lectureship. It was a rewarding week of study in the book of Psalms. Each day the ladies of the Hillview Terrace church of Christ prepared lunch for us. These kind ladies cooked, served, and cleaned up with such joy that it made you look forward to seeing them each day.

I didn’t notice the first day or two, but there was a little girl about eight years old that helped the ladies in the kitchen. One day she poured drinks, and the other days she picked up plates. She happily went about her tasks with a smile on her face, eager to be of service.

On the last day, I went up to her to thank her for being such a good hostess. She seemed to not know how to take the compliment. She was so engrossed in her tasks that it never occurred to her that she would be thanked. After I talked with her, one of the ladies complimented her on the cookies she had made for lunch that day. She said, “thank you” and went on about her chores. I mentioned to one of the ladies how helpful this little girl had been, and she told me she had been doing that since she was very small.

What a joy this sweet little girl was to all of us that week. I told her that being a servant is something she would be doing the rest of her life. She seemed to not understand that, and I told her that is one of the blessings of being a Christian woman. How I hope she will continue in her service.

Though I know Martha often gets a lot of criticism for her “much serving” and little listening, she was trying to be a good hostess. She just needed a little priority adjustment. We could use more women who understand the joy of serving over leading.

We need to think about this little girl the next time we are preparing a fellowship meal or having guests in our homes. We need to include our children and let them learn the valuable lesson of hospitality.

I often think of the women who followed Jesus and the disciples and cared for their needs. That would have been a tremendous job to feed the disciples and Jesus, keep their clothes clean, and maybe prepare food for their travels. Though they did not see and hear everything, they served in the way they could.

Sandra Oliver