It's twofer tuesday!

I didn't really want to put this in the last post, so aren't you lucky that you get two on tuesday?
The halloween party is tomorrow. All the eggs are finally done, stuff is coming together. I'm pretty stoked, I think it will be great.
There have been so many people helping, families serving together and people on their own. There are two families in particular that have been there every step of the way and will be with us on Wednesday. I don't want to call them out so I'll just say their awesome.
Last Friday the grown ups were all sitting in one room stuffing eggs and the kids, 5 of them total, were in the other room. The grown ups were telling me about 1 of the kids. We'll call her S. They said that S didn't really want to get involved. That S was having issues with the other kids and S and the other kids would just fight like cats and dogs.
I saw S on Sunday. I would talk to her, joke with her and the sort. It took awhile, but she started smiling and talking, and once (maybe on accident) laughed. Monday we were stuffing even more eggs. When I got to the offices where they were doing this she was sitting on the floor with her legs pulled to her chest. She looked......dejected, rejected, and more then a little angry and sad. She looked like I felt for many many years. Dutifully going places my parents dragged me, not being outwardly hostile unless provoked. S has been tugging at my heart. She's only maybe 14 or 15. But I so understand that simmering anger and sadness. So I went over and asked her if she wanted to help me with some eggs. She smiled and said yes. She helped me get chairs around and while we were putting eggs together we chatted about our favorite color of starburst, or our favorite hershey's mini bar.
I don't know exactly if it's me, or if it's just that someone is taking the time to single her out. I don't know the story behind her life, or if I'm even accurate in my assesment of her "attitude". All I know it, I'm so glad that I know her. I'm glad that even if it's her laughing at me, she is laughing.
To me, this is the crux of serving. It's great and tangibly does things for other people. But the collateral effect is that the people that are serving are changed. S and I probably would have never said more then 2 words to each other without this. I wouldn't constantly be humbled in realizing what I have, instead of what I have not.
I am constantly amazed at the way God has worked in my life, and is still working. If you would have asked anyone less then 5 years ago if I would have turned into an optimist, into someone that wasn't seeking out things to be angry about, they would have been hard pressed to say yes. Most of them would have laughed and said who on earth do you think you're talking about.
The least I can do for a God that big, that loving and awesome, is love and serve others. The least.