Moment-by-Moment

Day 56

 

It’s a moment-by-moment balancing act…

“Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” Galatians 5:25 (NLT)

It was one of those beautiful ordinary school free and work free days. My hair appointment was a week over due and I was anxious to my mop reshaped. Just thought of having my stylist’s hands cutting and styling my hair makes me simple.  It is one of the simple pleasures in my life.

After my cut, style, and primping time was over I grabbed my purse to pay for my new do. “ Before I go,” I said to my stylist, “I need to use your potty.” (Pause—please tell me, do we ever stop calling it potty?)

As walk in the restroom I noticed the black ring around the toilet, the ring in the sink, and well, the dried wet spots around the base of the commode. (Let’s face it-sometimes men miss.)

Immediately I began to criticize and question the sanitation regulations of the salon. As I was mumbling things under my breath I sensed the Holy Spirit’s whispering. “No. You can’t be serious.” Again I heard His whisper. Again I argued. I found myself in a moment-by-moment balancing act.  Would I yield to the Holy Spirit’s direction or flush, wash, and leave?

It was if I paralyzed, not able to move toward the door. My only option was to yield. I looked around at the various cleaning products, took a deep breath, and begin to clean. I wasn’t thrilled and wasn’t interested in doing a good job. I wanted to hurry and get out. On my hands and knees, scrubbing and wiping the balancing act continued as I heard the whisper, “as you would your own bathroom.”

It wasn’t enough that I had yielded; God wanted my heart to be right. So I continued to clean, now with greater fervor, as if it was my own bathroom. I begin to think of the next person who would walk in to a fresh smell and sparkling chrome. Imagining this made me smile.

It really is a moment-by-moment balancing act. Today, when given the opportunity, will I tip the scales toward self or my Savior?

5 Comments

  1. You go girl! I am so proud of you. No just cleaned it, but as it were your own. Gotta love it. I can relate, because I am retired and volunteer at our hospital, and I am forever cleaning up where other people are messy. That is NOT part of what I do, we have housekeeping for that, but it just bothers me, so I go around picking up what other people drop, and cleaning up to make it more sanitary or neater for everyone who comes in behind them, just like you said. Sometimes folks look at me, like “why is she doing that?” Well it paid off kind of, yesterday when I dropped a bottle of flavored water and the lid busted and it spilled in the middle of the floor. Before I could start to clean it up, two other employees started working on it for me and the three of us got it cleanted up before anyone got “in it” and fell or anything. Thank God for small favors, and returned kindnesses.

  2. After living in college my freshman yr and seeing how dirty a bathroom could get without anyone cleaning it ALL semester, I always took the bathroom as the chore of choice. NOT because I liked it, mind you, but I couldn’t imagine living like that again… BUT, I honestly don’t know if I would clean up the bathroom of someone I didn’t know…. I’ve done a friend’s when she was pregnant… this really makes me think about how/when I serve others.

    This morning I was thinking about this idea of Moment to Moment, and how every morning, Dana throws a different curve ball at me in how she gives me a hard time getting ready in the morning. (Is she gonna spit out her meds, is she going to put on her top, will she rip off her diaper, and lets not forget to mention her NOT favorite “putting on the shoes”.) It is the same routine every morning, but each morning is different for her. “Can’t we just get ready without having to redo some part of the process multiple times?!?” … I say AMEN to your comment, Wendy! I for one need the Spirit to not only prompt me once, but over and over, so I can keep doing and doing without melting down. And HE is so faithful and His mercies are never ending, because I don’t always listen to that prompting…

    Thanks for giving me something to meditate on …

  3. OMG, this is the most radical weaving of a God story into everyday life. I’ve just never seen or heard God while cleaning a toilet; I must look and listen closer.

    You might want to edit your piece. There are quite a few grammatical errors. I would love to “clean it up” for you, honor God while doing it and in the process, see God. Alas, that is impossible!

  4. That’s awesome – so glad you yielded – how blessed you will be for it. 🙂 Thanks!

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