Don't get me wrong, this blog post is not about me complaining, but about a realization I had yesterday while I was bouncing around the house sweeping, picking up, and mopping. I guess I should start with the fact that for four summers of my life I worked at a summer camp. And because I'm a die hard loyal fan of that camp, which you should all go check out (if you aren't a camp friend who already reads this blog) I have to tell you that pretty much every day of my life there, I cleaned.
We all did. It was part of the job. We scrubbed toilets, plunged them, swept floors, mopped, inhaled Tub and Tile like it was the only cleaning supply that ever existed, and we did it all with a willing heart. Because no matter who you are, when you work at a summer camp like that, you realize that you are a servant of Christ. That who are you, for a brief moment, doesn't matter, so long as you are doing what you need to be doing, you are serving.
It's easy to think that way while you're out there in the summer serving. It's harder to think that way when you've worked all week, you're tired, and Netflix is right there and you could be watching Lost chilling in your ugly clothes eating some leftover Stroganoff. (Can you tell what I would have rather been doing yesterday morning?) As I took out my Lysol wipes, I had a sudden realization about cleaning my own house...
I was still serving. I am still serving, right here, in my own way, in my own home. As I swept my floors and sang loudly to some NeedtoBreath, all I could think about was those happy times at camp where I scrubbed toilets and had a big huge smile on my face while I was doing it. It made me realize that even in my own home, I'm still a servant.
I wish I had remembered this while I was growing up. It would have saved me from a lot of fights and tears and anger with my mom. It would have saved me from having the door knob taken from my door, and from lots of fights with my poor little sister Evie.
As I moved the rest of the chairs back into my kitchen, I had a big smile. See God has been speaking to me a lot about obedience and listening and following what He asks me to do. I had a crazy experience earlier this week, where God literally spoke in that still small voice and asked me to take care of one of His "least of these". It ended with me spending $50 that was not part of our "budget", you can imagine how well that went over with my Beloved. That night we realized we hadn't gone out this month. At least once a month we try to go on a big fancy date, and I had just spent our big fancy date money. Were we upset? No and I'll tell you why...
About a month and a half ago my Beloved asked me if he could spend some money to buy a steak dinner to support our local 4H center. I told him yes. We've had steak dinner tickets pinned to our board for all that time. Did you catch that? We did not need that $50, but those people I gave them to did, and my Lord, already knew that.
It will never cease to amaze me the things that the Lord does and shows me. I hope that He always teaches me things. That He always shows me things, because I still need Him too. I still needed to be reminded that I am to be in service to him and to others. I still need to be reminded to listen and to obey what the Lord is calling and telling me to do. Serve and Obey. Those are very simple things, and yet we all struggle so much with them. I still struggle with them.
It's good to be reminded though. It's good to allow God to work in your life. I know I appreciate it. :)
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