People are Good

Our bathtub clogged. 

We spent a few days cleaning the bathtub every night when dirty water backed up our drain into the tub before I told our apartment to send the maintenance guy. He came. That night gravel backed up into our tub. GRAVEL. Ew. We spent a few more days avoiding taking showers at home and bathing Ezra before I emailed again saying something more needed to be done. The roto-rooters were called in. 

They knocked on my door just before Ezra was due to wake up from his nap. Two men, both middle aged. One was short and round, one was tall and sturdy. The short, round man spoke. He introduced the pair and started to chat with me kindly. They were both dirty, covered in sooty-icky-stuff, head-to-toe. They did not smell delightful. They tracked mud through my house. 

After they had been in the house for a few minutes, Ezra woke up. I went back to the bedroom to get him and then brought him into the living room. The tall, sturdy man spoke for the first time. 

"Sorry, what was that?" I said. He repeated himself. "I'm sorry" I said, shaking my head "I didn't catch that." He repeated himself again. He had a couple teeth missing, I noticed. "Im so sorry, one more time" I said, feeling embarrassed that I couldn't understand. He repeated himself another time "Who's that, your son?"

"Oh, yes. This is my son." 

He turned away and they kept working. As they worked, they talked to each other. Have you ever gone to the deep deep south? Have you ever heard a conversation that you knew was in english, but the way of speaking was so foreign to you that it might as well have been a different language all together? I felt a flash of sticking my nose in the air, pride--grateful that I was educated. "Proud" that I didn't smell bad and that when I spoke people could understand me. 

But, the Lord works in mysterious ways, doesn't He? Who would think that the dirty, practically illiterate man, would teach me such a profound lesson. I'm so glad he did.

They finished working and the short, round man spoke to me about the procedure and so forth. He was definitely the "front man" in this operation. Meanwhile, I noticed the tall, sturdy man peeking around my kitchen. "Why is he snooping?" I thought...

It wasn't long until he found what he was looking for--my mini broom and dustpan. He knelt down and began to sweep my floor. The short, round man had walked out the door at this point. The tall, sturdy man placed the dustpan back in the spot he found it, stood and spoke a sentence I understood quite clearly. 

"I wish I could stay and do the dishes, too." Then he nodded his head and walked out my door.

Matt 23:11-12 "But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." 

Matt 20: 16 "So the last shall be first, and the first last..."

Matt 7: 1 "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."