Monday, August 29, 2005

What's on Your Spool?

I just headed down to the church bathroom and guess what I found... A roll of the thin papery toilet tissue on the roller. Not my beloved gentle, squeezebly soft type of toilet paper. Who switched the roll? Now I know that I have a lot of better things I could be doing other than ranting about how somebody bought "unfriendly" toilet paper, but I think that the toilet paper has something to say about us and how we view our world.

The paper I found today could be a stop gap measure. Filling in for our regular brand until a run can be made to the nearest superstore for a restocking. Maybe we're sacrificing our own comfort so that we have more to give someone else. Or, it could be more expensive, rather than my assumption (or fear) that it is cheap stuff purchased purely because something needs to be provided and we might as well save some dough. I am concerned about what it might say about our church, God's house, and the way people who place themselves under our care (by worshipping at this church) get treated.

What's on the roll in your house? The thin papery stuff that could hardly clean your glasses or something soft that will treat the most used part of your body with pampering goodness? Would you keep the "goodstuff" to yourself in the master bath and place a lesser type in the guest bathroom? I hope not. Even simple things, like our choice of toilet paper, are opportunities to show people that the Kingdom of God is already present and active among us. If we can't care enough to spend an extra dollar or two on quality paper goods, why should we contribute thousands to overseas missions? We have to practice being kind to others and practice humble hospitality with the people who are closest to us - our families, friends, and church bodies. If it can't be done for the ones who matter most in our everyday lives, what will happen on an extraordinary day of opportunity? We'll fail and we'll have to wait for God to grace us with another chance recognizing that the one just past will never come again.

Be mindful of the little things and what they say about your walk with Christ. Actions speak way louder than words. Our behavior drowns out many things we'd like to say. Just thinking...

1 comment:

Kathie said...

Just now read this! Shows I haven't been to the FBC site for a long time. Cute, and enjoyable and thought-provoking! Kathie