by Jackie Perseghetti

Ben stared at the salads and rehearsed his speech.

"Hello, would you like salad, Jell-O or this broccoli thingy?" He picked up the serving spoon and gave the green creation a nervous stir.

What do I call this? Ben wondered. He glanced at the monitor in the corner of the kitchen that showed the chapel service. He only had a few minutes to get ready.

"Take your positions on the line!" barked the director of Dayton Gospel Mission. The volunteers took their places in front of the meats, vegetables, rolls, silverware and desserts. Ben’s heart pounded. He had never met a homeless person. The door swung open and the first line of guests entered.

By the time Ben served the last person, he was getting the hang of things. He liked the good feeling he got by helping others less fortunate than himself. With relief and a sense of happiness, he carried his empty bins into the kitchen and began cleaning up.

When he finished, Ben climbed in the car with his mother and older sister, Bethany, and headed for home.

"Mom, can we come here every day?" Ben asked excitedly. "That was a lot of fun!"

"Not everyday," his mother answered with a smile, "although it was a great experience. We’re only scheduled to come once a month."

Ben settled back in his seat. He couldn’t wait until next month. "Okay. I need you to serve the breads, and you have the salads today," the mission director said. "I need you four to make silverware packets, and the two of you can handle the beverages. Who’s left?"

Ben slipped up his hand.

"You can hand out desserts."

Cool! Ben thought. He stood behind the large array of pies, cakes and gourmet cookies—all donated from local bakeries.

"Uh, Ben," the director corrected, "you need to stand in front of the desserts. As guests come through the line, your job is to hand them the dessert they desire. If their hands are full of clothing or other belongings, call for someone to carry their tray to the tables."

Ben gulped. Standing behind the serving line with a smile was one thing; standing in front of it was totally different. He wasn’t sure he liked this new job, but it was too late to request a change. Ben slid on his plastic gloves and took a deep breath.

"Everyone take your positions!"

The first guest came around the corner and approached Ben.

"S-ss- sir, would you like a dessert today?" he squeaked. His question was answered by a heavily soiled finger pointing to a pastry. Ben shakily removed the cherry pie and placed it on the gentleman’s tray.

Immediately, the next person stood in front of him. She had her arms full of donated clothes, and her tray wobbled as she carried it. Ben reached out to steady the tray. She smiled in appreciation, and Ben caught a whiff of her bad breath. The teeth she had left were rotting. She smelled like she hadn’t had a bath or clean clothes in weeks. His stomach churned. She didn’t want dessert, but did need help with her tray.

"I need a tray carrier!" he called out. Someone stepped forward, and Ben was glad to have the lady move along. He noticed Bethany happily handing out drinks. When there was a lull in the line, Ben asked her how she could be so calm.

"How do you deal with this?" he whispered hurriedly.

"You just do," came her response. "Everybody’s human; we just have a home and family. You have to love these people extra hard—with God’s kind of love."

Bethany gave him a playful nudge. "Don’t look now, but we have more customers!"

Back at the dessert station, Ben thought about what his sister said. Lord, please forgive me for my selfishness, he prayed silently. Help me to see people as You see them and love them with Your kind of love.

As the next person approached, Ben forced himself to look into the man’s eyes.

"Hello, sir! I have pies, cakes and cookies. What can I get for you today?"

The man stopped and met Ben’s gaze. He cracked a smile and said, "It all looks good. I’ll let you pick for me."

Ben selected a gooey treat and placed it on the gentleman’s tray. "This is my favorite," he offered. The man grinned, and Ben smiled in return.

"So how did it go today?" Mom asked as they climbed into the car.

"Rough at first," Ben confessed, "until I asked God to give me His kind of love. After that, things got better."

He shot his sister an appreciative look. "You know, Mom," Ben continued, "when assignments are given out next month, I think I’ll volunteer for one of the jobs where you get face-to-face with the people you’re serving; those jobs kind of grow on you!"

	Q: What did one lightbulb say to the other one? A: “Watt are you doing?” Charles R., 10, Georgia Clubhouse Jr. Click here to subscribe