Happy Inconvenience Yourself Day!

Happy Inconvenience Yourself Day! What, you’ve never heard of this holiday? Well, neither had I, until a couple of days ago. Inconvenience Yourself Day is a day dedicated to going out of our way to be kind to others, “to focus on inconveniencing ourselves instead of inconveniencing others” (www.inconvenienceyourself.com).

Even though I’d never heard of this holiday before this week, I think it’s a great idea, and it’s made me reflect on how this concept relates to our work.

We’ve got a great group of volunteers who inconvenience themselves all the time to help us provide quality medical care—through helping in the warehouse, working on the Clinics in a Can, doing secretarial work, etc. This work isn’t always fun, but our volunteers have really been great about giving of their time and talents to help us serve.

Our faithful donors inconvenience themselves frequently by making financial sacrifices on behalf of those we serve. Area clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, and doctors’ offices inconvenience themselves by saving useful medical supplies to be sent to countries like Bolivia, Liberia, and Haiti. Saving these items can take up time and space, but it means a lot to those who will receive them.

We are truly grateful to all of those who inconvenience themselves so that we can serve.

Most of all, though, we’re thankful that God inconveniences himself for us. It wasn’t convenient for him to die on a cross, and it isn’t convenient for him when we frequently mess things up. But that’s what grace is all about. I’m so glad we have a God who prioritizes us, rather than convenience.