For the past month, I would see it.

We had just moved into a different building at work.  Everything in our area was nice, new and clean.

Except this.

Every day, there were scraps of paper towels on the bathroom floor as soon as you walk in. Almost every day, I complain. Sometimes out loud.  A lot of times in my head.

Before you start to wonder if I am a neat freak and on the OCD side, let me go ahead and help you out.

Yes, I am.

So, the messiness bugged me.  I would think, “I wish somebody would do something about this.”

 

Recently, I was reminded of the phrase:  Be the change you want to see in the world.   When I saw the paper towels on the floor again today, just as my eyes began to roll, that phrase entered my mind.  The second thought was, “What if the somebody that did something about it was YOU?”

Then, I knew it wasn’t just a phrase from some artwork I had seen anymore.  It was God using something small to teach me something big.

Our pastor tells a great story about a lady who once called the church to complain that they weren’t helping someone in need.  Our Pastor wisely asked, “Aren’t you the church?”

Jesus says it too.

You feed them. (Mark 6:37)

You be the real neighbor. (Luke 10:37)

You love people…even when they are hard to love. (John 13:34, Luke 6:27)

You be a light. (Matthew 5:16)

What bugs you? Maybe that’s exactly where Jesus wants you to step in.

Some people ask why I started the group, Whispers and Fringes.  For years, I felt like I had something more in me but didn’t feel empowered to do something about it. I didn’t want another generation of women to feel that way.  So, I called some girlfriends over to have a small Bible study.

That was 7 years ago.

Sometimes what we do feels so small, like picking scraps up off the floor.  However, we never know the impact it could have.

The next time you think someone should really do something, you may find that someone in the mirror.

(By the way, If you are in the bathroom like I was today, that may literally happen.). ~Anu