by Christine Berglund

Yes, Even By Cleaning Up Mouse Poop

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link.

My family has a tradition of spending Memorial Day weekend serving at a Christian camp getting the camp ready for the busy summer season. Many of the projects require specialized skills, and professional electricians, carpenters, and contractors come from all over the region to donate their time and talents to rebuild decks, install new windows, update lighting, and paint buildings. Many other non-professional but willing hands also show up to assist the professionals and to clean and tidy the camp in other ways.

On our second day this past weekend, my two daughters were asked to clean and organize the food pantry storage area for the camp kitchen. The pantry was in an upper room almost like an attic area and had been used very little over the winter. Like some teenagers whose parents are gone for the weekend, the local mice had taken advantage of the time to invite all of their friends over to eat, drink, and be merry, but no one bothered to clean up after the party or hide the evidence.

During our lunch break, my daughters expressed that they were not too enchanted with their job assignment. I reminded them that they were serving the Lord. One daughter responded incredulously, “By cleaning up mouse poop?” I tried to encourage her that yes, simple and even disgusting tasks can be done in dedication to God. She went on to lament that this task had been given to her because she did not have any “real” talents (like the professional tradespeople who were there).

After thinking about this conversation for the rest of the weekend, I went back to my kids to remind them of the sermon we heard at camp. The pastor talked about how people are either growing closer in their relationship with God or moving backwards, and he talked about the summer camp being an opportunity for the campers and staff to grow closer in their relationship with God, and he thanked all of the volunteers for playing a role in enhancing that opportunity. Everyone there was contributing to making the camp and the future campers’ and staff members’ experiences better. Whether we built a deck, rewired a building, cooked a meal, spread wood chips, or cleaned up after mice, we had all come to serve.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
Colossians 3:23 English Standard Version

We don’t all have the same gifts, but we can all work sincerely and with enthusiasm for the Lord by having a willingness to serve in whatever way is needed to help draw people closer to Jesus.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado