Tuesday, March 14, 2023
“Thank a Civil Servant or First Responder”
Today’s Lenten Challenge, to thank a Civil Servant or First Responder, should be something that everyone understands. Our Civil Servants include everyone from our garbage collectors to our city commissioners. Our First Responders include everyone who responds to 911 when we are in panic mode: the members of the Police and Fire departments and emergency medical personnel, including the ones who transport us to the Emergency Room and the ones who take care of us when we arrive.
It’s easy to forget about the sacrifices that these people make every day. Often overworked and underpaid, they are awake and on the clock while we are asleep at night. They are repairing sewer lines in the heat of the day and trying to keep thousands of vehicles safe during rush-hour traffic. They wait anxiously in Emergency Rooms for the next tragedy that they hope never occurs.
Our Civil Servants and First Responders provide us with care, protection, and health as their vocation in life. They aren’t just serving a city government or municipal building; They are serving each of us so that we may continue our haphazard and chaotic lives. They are caring for each of us while we rest comfortably in our easy chairs.
Today is the day to show some love to people who don’t hear the words, “Thank You” enough. If possible, locate one of these people. Thank them for what they do on our behalf.
“We appealed to you, encouraged you, and pleaded with you to live lives worthy of the God who is calling you into his own kingdom and glory.” (1 Thessalonians 2:12, CEB).
