It was 10:30 pm on a rainy weeknight, in the middle of winter. As an exhausted college student I should have been catching up on some desperately needed sleep, but that night I found myself halfway through one of my violent coughing fits. Throat burning, eyes watering, and chest heaving, I had finally reached the peak of my illness—my sinus infection had reached a whole new level of nasty, unconquerable by even the strongest of medications and tea brews. Despite that I was laying under a mountain of blankets, and sporting a warm sweatshirt, sweatpants, and pink fuzzy socks, I was still somehow freezing cold, and was totally miserable.

My bedroom door slowly opened, and a cute blonde with a messy bun and a sympathetic smile poked her head in. “I’m so sorry, Taylor, I’ll try to be quieter,” I told my roommate, through the hacking.

“No no, it isn’t that. I have something for you.” She opened the door and walked to my bed, pulling something out of her sweatshirt pocket—a small pot of Vicks Vapor Rub, for my chest.

My chapped lips managed a smile, and my heart glowed with appreciation. What a friend. “Thank you so much, Mom.” Taylor has always been one to go out of her way to love and take care of the other four girls living in our house, earning her that esteemed nickname.

I reached for the Vicks, but she had already opened it and dipped her hand into the goop. She put a dab of it on my hand for me to rub on my chest. I gratefully applied the medication, but was confused when she started digging through the blankets near the end of my bed.

“Dude, what are you doing?”

“I’m putting it on the bottoms of your feet.”

“Wait, what?”

“The Vicks. It stops the coughing. You put it on the bottoms of your feet and sleep with socks on. I don’t know why it works, but it does.” She continued to fidget with the blankets, and I was alarmed when she discovered my feet. She obviously intended to apply it herself.

“Tay, please, let me…”

It was too late. Before I had the chance to stop her, she had already taken my socks off, and was slathering the Vicks on the bottoms of my sweaty and disgusting feet.

“No, Ken, it’s fine! See, done!” She slipped my fuzzy pink socks back on.

I did nothing but stare at Taylor for a few seconds, both embarrassed at my condition and the awkwardness of the moment, and completely amazed by her true servant’s heart. I took the deepest breath that I had in hours, and smiled. I was so grateful, not only because the coughing had finally subsided, but also because I had been blessed with a friend like her. “You’re amazing. Thank you so much.”

She smiled back and shrugged, exiting my room for the night. “I do what I can.”

Taylor is the perfect example of someone with a servant’s heart. This is but one of the many times she has amazed me with her willingness to go above and beyond for the people that God puts in her life. She could have just given me the pot of Vicks, or even have texted me the trick from the other room. Instead, she willingly handled my gnarly feet, in order to take some of the burden of my sickness off of me. Though I was taken aback by her actions, she made me feel so taken care of, and completely loved.

As my roommate proved (and continues to prove on the daily), true servants aren’t afraid to get down and dirty, and do the things that some people would be totally grossed out at. Even Jesus shocked his disciples by washing their feet (check out John 13: 1-7). The same guy that that raised people from the dead and performed huge miracles and signs understood the true importance of doing the little things, especially the stuff that nobody really wants to do. Ultimately, these are the things that translate the beautiful extent of God’s love for the human race.

Often, people like to complain about being frustrated, because they so want to be used for the big stuff—glamorous, crazy, all-in missions for God. But, unfortunately, often times these people aren’t even interested in doing the little things that serve people. Maybe it’s because they’re uncomfortable doing those things, which is totally understandable—I was there too at one point.

Becoming a willing servant takes practice. Start with the easy stuff. Do a little extra cleaning around the house, or fold a load of laundry that isn’t yours. Go to a volunteer event with a friend. Treat a coworker to coffee. Don’t expect anything in return, and try to find the joy in doing little things for people. These things may seem seem unnecessary and irrelevant, but they can completely turn around somebody’s day, and sometimes they can even change someone’s life. Don’t shy away from the little things—commit to performing them, and find your servant’s heart. You’ll make this broken world better in the process.