I was fortunate to have spent the last five weeks in Panama visiting and helping my friend, Lindsey Parry, with her non-profit, Sowing Seeds of Love.  As I reflect on the trip, I cannot help but think about the role service plays in our spiritual journey.  The degree to which I have grown in my spiritual journey directly coincides with my attitude towards service.  For me, much has changed in this regard.  In college, I was motivated to volunteer as a reading mentor at a local school because I wanted to show community involvement on future job applications.  My motivations were selfish.  It was about what the experience could do for me, not what I could do for the child I was mentoring.  I was operating from a checklist instead of my heart.  The same can be said for motivations of guilt.  If we are doing our part as a duty, we are still being moved by ego as opposed to spirit.  To be truly drawn to service, selfishness must be tempered.

It has been well over ten years since I was in college, and in the time that has …

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