Leaving Your Mark

Posted on September 14, 2007
Filed Under Uncategorized, Gratitude, Work |

As I parked my car in the garage last night, I felt myself getting excited to pass through the doors of our home. Yesterday was a long day. Thursday, with choir rehearsal late into the evening, is my big work day. It begins early and is full of preparation for weekend services, and ends late with choir rehearsal and everything inherent therein. So, tired though I was, I couldn’t wait to get inside and take a look around. See Thursdays (at least ever other Thursday) is the day Elizabeth comes and everything is made new . . . shiny and new.

Elizabeth is our unreliable, often late, rather heavy handed but extremely gifted housekeeper, and when she has come, you know it, you see it, you smell it and you appreciate it. Because she is so unpredictable and full of “I need to reschedule because” phone calls, we have tried to fire Elizabeth - and have on two occasions, only to hire her back because whatever replacement we’d found just didn’t measure up. Elizabeth has set the cleaning standard and has no equal, so we’ve just learned to accept her tardiness, her tendency to break things, and her bent toward cancellations with a grain of salt because when she does come, man . . .

I hope our overlooking of Elizabeth’s flaws for the sake of her excellence is what’s true for the whole of my life. I know I fall short, can be selfish, am unorganized, and am not the most disciplined person you’ll ever met, but I pray that the good I bring through the Christ in me leaves a valued impression in spite of myself. I also want that to be my aim concerning others: to have grace with failures and focus on love and strengths. Without that, I might miss the unique and individual blessings they bring. I might miss Elizabeth’s attention to detail. By the way, have you ever dusted the top of your kitchen cabinets in your home? Oh, Elizabeth!

Psalm 25:7
Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.

When I walked in last night, both Marc and Cole were reclined on the coach, satisfied. I, jokingly, tell Cole (who doesn’t clean up unless threatened with violence) what a great job he did on the house. “It only took me 30 minutes, too,” he responds. As I fling my purse to the ground I take in my sparkling floors and vacuum-lined carpets so meticulously created by Elizabeth . . . sweet Elizabeth, as only she can do. “Yeah. Right!”

Peace and Blessings,

Nicole Walters