Hidden Usefulness

A deacon came to see me once. He said he wasn't any use. We soon found a use for him -- but apart from that, I said: "This goes far beyond the use you are. Your faith is insurance for the Church's future. You are a public example to others like you. You bring valuable perspective from your station in life. And you often get us back on track where we drift." OBSERVATION: The uses of deacons -- or their value -- may not lie in their immediate or obvious usefulness. In this case, above, one sees two or three unique "uses" of this deacon. A Church may pare "useless" deacons and regret it.