"Let the girl to whom I say, ‘Please lower your water jug so that I may drink,' and who responds, ‘Drink, and I'll water your camels also' - let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac.

"Before he had finished speaking, there was Rebekah.  Then the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please let me have a little water from your jug." She replied, "Drink, my lord." She quickly lowered her jug to her hand and gave him a drink. When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I'll also draw water for your camels until they have had enough to drink."

She had no idea who was approaching her that hot, thirsty afternoon, or that such a chance encounter would change her life forever. But you never know what kind of opportunities will arise when you start with a servant's heart. You know those times when someone seems to pop into your mind out of nowhere? You tell yourself you should give her a call, jot her a note, ask her to lunch. Or maybe it's not a particular person but a ministry area that you continue to sense God drawing you to. Who's to say, as Rebekah discovered, that God isn't prompting you for service out of response to someone's prayers? Try making sure you follow up on those uncanny occurrences. They seem like nothing, but only eternity can measure their significance.

Lots of us feel the same way and can't bear the thought of adding one more activity, one more to-do item to our list, however worthy it may be. For busy women like us, who don't know how we could man-age the added role of being a volunteer, psychologist Virginia O'Leary offers a word of encouragement: "The more roles women have, the better off they are, and the less likely they are to be depressed or discouraged about their lives. When we have a lot to do, we complain that it's driving us crazy - but, in fact, it's what keeps us sane." It's ironic that one of the best remedies for impending burnout is to give yourself away - to pick out one time and place each week where you can stretch out your hands for the pure joy of doing it.  - Liz Curtis Higgs