When I sit down to write, my dog heads for the kitchen wastebasket and soon returns with the largest envelope or some other paper product she can find. Snuggling up to my feet she then proceeds to turn it into a pile of confetti. Night after night this occurs and night after night before I go to bed I get down on the floor and pick up the pieces of her handiwork. Or should I say paw and mouth work.
Why do I do this? I could train her not to do it. I could take it from her when she arrives at my feet. But night after night I watch her make her pile of tidbits. The truth is it does no harm and it is easy to clean up and it seems to make her happy. Perhaps she thinks she is doing paperwork with me.
I wonder if some of the work I do is just as useless and God lets me continue because it makes me happy to think that I am doing something useful. As long as I am doing no harm it is easy for Him to clean up after I got to thinking about this because not long ago I listened to someone tell of all the great things he had done for God and I wondered if they really were great outside the realm of his mind. Perhaps it was jealousy on my part because I could not tell such great tales of accomplishment.
However, I do believe God has something great for each of us to do. I pray God will help each of us to hear the “Well done” we read about in Matthew 25:21.
Written by Roger Bothwell on October 29, 2008.
Photo by Tj Holowaychuk.
Spring of Life, 901 Signorelli Circle, St. Helena, CA 94574