The Household of God

There is no greater honor in this life than to be a servant of Jesus Christ.  For many years, I could not call myself a servant of Jesus, because it felt fraudulent; I felt it was more true that I was serving my own interests rather than His.  I still feel uncomfortable with the title, but after visiting the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, I realize just how many and how varied the servant population had to be to maintain that estate.

The Vanderbilt estate consisted of footmen, chambermaids, dairy men, sheep farmers and their wives who gathered and spun the wool, dressmakers who fashioned clothes for the owners as well as for themselves, stable workers, horse trainers, landscapers and agriculturists, floral designers, housekeepers, furnace keepers,  -- well, you get the idea.  Not all of them did the same tasks, and their roles varied greatly in importance.  Still, each one was necessary to the functioning of the estate.

And it was a great honor to work for the Vanderbilts.  First of all, they paid New York wages, unheard of at the time in rural North Carolina.  Those chosen for service became part of the family and were well taken care of.  In one case, after one of the farmers died prematurely, his family of wife and seven children were given a house to live in and everyone who could work was given a job on the estate.

Seeing how such an organization functioned made me realize how the household of God also functions.  I often wonder what on earth I can do to "serve" Jesus Christ, but I also realize that He is the Master of the Estate, and it is His role to assign the work to each member of the household.  St. Therese said that if it pleased the good Jesus to use her, she was content, but she was also content to remain sitting in the corner if it pleased Him for her to remain idle. And I think it may have been Milton who penned the phrase, "They also serve who stand and wait."

Waiting.....like a footman standing, waiting for orders from the master.  Waiting...like a chambermaid waiting for orders.  On call....attentive to the voice of the Master.  Not knowing what the next task will be, but trusting that the Master will it clear.  I want to be out on the street, shouting to strangers to come in to the Master's household, where it is warm and those within are well fed …. but that is not what He has told me to do.  So I wait, content, knowing that He is the One in charge of running the household, and when it is time, He will let me know His pleasure.