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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Work (07/27/06)
The school is empty. All the children have gone home. The echoes of their talking and laughing still rings in my ears. Pushing a pile of dust down the halls may seem like a mundane chore, but I actually enjoy it. This is the time I use to pray. I pray for all the children and their parents, one at a time, imagining their faces, their quirks, their habits. In the quiet of the evening is the best time for me to remember them. I think that god does this for us. When we are sleeping, he is always working to clean us a path for the next day.
After the sweeping comes the buffing. Buffing is actually taking all the rough edges off and the end result is that the floors are clean and smooth. There is another reason why we buff the floors to a nice shiny glaze. A well buffed floor will resist even the most harmful spills and stains. God buffs us even though it sometimes hurts when he does it. If we can just let it happen the way he has designed it, then we will also be clean and smooth when he is done. He wants us to be able to resist stains and spills.
Some people pity me because I have this job, but we all have to be a blessing wherever we are. I know that the children will have to grow up and find you on their own Lord, but I’m also sure that this short period in their lifetime when they’re here with me, someone will be praying for them.
As I sweep up the pile of dust I see a crumpled piece of paper that catches my attention. I don’t know why, it looks like all the other crumpled pieces of paper I have picked up for these 14 years. As I unravel it I walk over to the light to see better. My eyes aren’t too good in the dark these days. Written in crayon in large letters I read “Thank you Mr. Jimmy for sweeping up all my trash. I hope you would find this somehow. I pray for you each night.” I smile quietly and smooth out the crinkles against my shirt.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
D. Phenes
08/03/06
Love it. I would put some space between paragraphs easier to read. Great job
Joanne Sher 
08/04/06
A neat little story - I love that he got a bit of reward in the end - and that he saw his job as a ministry.
Lynda Schultz 
08/04/06
What a wonderful tribute and testimony at the same time. I remember Mr. Weir who so faithfully for many, many years looked after our church - maintenance ministry - both of the physical and spiritual kind. Good job.