Let me start by saying I don’t know what to write. That is weird considering the fact that I have so many things to write about.
I’ve been sick but He has given me joy in the midst of it. I have learned the joy of waiting on Him. I have seen the deceitfulness of my heart. I could just go on and on but one thing that I really stuck out was the time when I was cleaning the bathroom.
To those who don’t know what I have been doing, I went to a city in the Central part to spend time with a local Christian who just moved there. We remodelled her place. The place that she was given to live in was in a really bad shape. In her own words, she has never seen a place as dirty and as ugly as that one. Let me clarify that I’m not writing this to criticize her new school’s teacher’s dorm. I’m trying to make the object lesson that I learned more realistic.
Try imagining a three-bedroom apartment that has not been thoroughly cleaned for years. The floor is rough, the paint is coming off, the windows are covered with dust, the tables provided are falling apart, the toilet is not scrubbed for who knows how long, the bathroom floor has hair all over it, and of course the place stunk.
We started the cleaning and remodelling the next day. With the help of four other girls, we started scrubbing every single corner. They were doing a great job on cleaning the bedroom so I went to clean the bathroom. While scrubbing the dirty tiles and inhaling the stench I can’t help but remember my state before I gave my life to God.
My life and everything in it was so like the bathroom that I was cleaning. With every stroke of the mop I could imagine God’s hand removing all the dirt that I acquired over the years. While scrubbing the toilet, I could see Him stooping down to gently scrub all the scars that my own stupidity caused me. While cleaning the bathroom window, I could see Him opening my blinded eyes to the truth that He is my God, that He cares about me, and that He will not withhold good things from me.
After hours of scrubbing, the bathroom looked unbelievable. The toilet and the floor are sparkling and I noticed that the window has something in it that made it look like tainted glass. It’s so pretty. Then, I put candles in the window sill. It made a big difference. I stepped out and admired the scene before me. I smiled idiotically while thinking to myself, “This can now be called a place of rest.”
I rested after that and I can’t help but praise Him for reminding me of that truth in a very realistic way. Now, cleaning bathrooms has a whole new meaning to me.
- contributed by Jap, one of our Filipino Teachers serving in China.
The shock of everything is now starting to sink in and the dust is starting to settle some.
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