Drain

Something funny occurred to me the other day.

I was taking my daily shower [and probably not washing my feet] when I noticed that some drops of water were just hitting the tub floor and washing down the drain, having never “lived” to their full potential. And this happens every time I take a shower.

I know what you may be thinking… “This is a way over critical observation”, and for the sake of an argument you would be right. But if each drop of water hit its target, how much more efficient and meaningful would our time in the shower be? But unfortunately, I would say at least one-third of these droplets [maybe more] never hit their mark, never have an impact, never reach their potential, and never get used.

Life would be better if we could use all the water in the shower. Think of what a refreshingly clean experience that would be if every single water droplet was used. Instead, a vast majority of them get washed down the drain – just like a moment in time.

Each day is filled with moments that we take for granted. Just like being in the shower, we are hit by the stronger moments as we miss the small moments that disappear down the drain. More often than not, these small moments are great opportunities that we undervalue and misinterpret as daily life. It’s in these small moments that our character is defined.

How is our character defined in the miniscule moments? It is in these moments that we identify with who we are living for, and who we are trying to please. It is in these moments that we decide if we are serving ourselves or serving others. It is in these moments that we have the opportunity to reveal the nature of God (love, grace, peace forgiveness, patience, hope, etc- Galatians 5:22-23).

Galatians 5:13 shares these thoughts:
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. (NIV)

I’ve only seen my father cry in public once. He’s a typical man… no emotions, especially not publicly. However, some 22 or so years ago, I saw him cry in front of everyone.

At the little church we attended when I was 12 years old my Dad took on a list of responsibilities, one of which was the role of Sunday School Director, which carried with it the obligation of giving the Sunday morning announcements to the congregation. On this particular Sunday morning, Dad got up and gave the Sunday School attendance and the other weekly information, and then he paused. As he began to tear up he told the story of how he had helped move a bed to my uncles house.

My uncle had recently come out of the military. He and his wife and children had moved to Georgia from Tennessee to find work in the mill that my father worked in. They had lived in Georgia for about three months. It was on this particular weekend that my Dad had driven to Clarksville, Tennessee from Rome, Georgia to pick up a bed frame, mattress, box springs and some other household items for my uncles home in Georgia.

As the story unfolded, it became obvious that my Dad was not crying because of his accomplishment; rather, he was crying because of what he hadn’t accomplished. He confessed that my uncle and aunt had been sleeping on the floor for some time. He confessed that He had been slow and inconsiderate in helping move the bed. He confessed that it was his responsibility to serve others, and he had not been a good servant. In essence, my Father was chasing a lost-forever shower drop that was destined for the drain. Luckily (for him and my uncle) he caught it at the last minute.

I have to admit; when it comes to serving I am great at serving myself. A lot of us are. I don’t think intend to be selfish, I think we’ve just been programmed this way. I think we’ve just been inundated with a culture that embraces ourselves. That’s nowhere near what Jesus teaches. Luke 6:31 simply explains, “Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them!” (The Message).

This should be the goal of the Christ Follower: to design a shower in that all the water is used to its full potential… or in other words, make every possible moment count before they are gone forever – before they are gone down the drain.