It Only Takes a Minute

Monday 2/17/2014 7:08 AM

As I cooled down from my morning run I noticed a feeble, eighty-something woman stooped in the gutter picking up a few pieces of trash that probably had been thrown out of a passing car during the night.  She carefully placed them in a small paper bag with trembling hands, working slowly, yet deliberately.  “Thank you for doing your part to keep our neighborhood clean,” I said to encourage her.  She looked up at me quizzically and I quickly added, “It must make you angry when people throw out their trash in front of your house.”  “It only takes a minute,” she replied.  “Pardon me?” I queried, not sure I heard her accurately, having anticipated an angry rant about the young people nowadays having no respect for other people’s property or some such thing.  Again she quietly responded, “It only takes a minute.”  I thanked her again and as I left I noted a puzzled look on her face as if she did not understand why I had thanked her for doing what she did each morning.

Her unexpected words continued ringing in my ears as I walked down the sidewalk.  I become angry when I see others acting irresponsibly and often utter words of condemnation or sarcasm to those around me.  I despair of the plight of the culture in which I live, longing for the good old days when there was proper respect given to people and their property.  How much better it would be if I did what I could to improve the world in which I operate through simple acts of gracious service to others.  Philippians 2:3-4 is a goal for which to reach, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”  Lord, give me grace to “take a minute” to serve others.