Some of the most humble, kind, and meek people I’ve ever met have a heart to serve, but what I’ve been most touched by is the beautiful kindness of the ones who clean the bathrooms, vacuum the floors, straighten the chairs and do the messy work with gladness. Whether it has been Anita, who has faithfully cleaned bathrooms, arranged chairs and vacuumed the church where we pastored for almost 20 years, or the sweet lady who has faithfully changed the trash cans at Legacy Christian School for over 20 years, or Pam, who for over 40 years, has cleaned the bathrooms and offices at Calvary Tabernacle where I attended. All of them exude a sweet, humble, glad to do it spirit that has impacted thousands of people without it ever being recognized. We take them for granted. I’ve known them all personally and here are the beautiful attributes they have that speaks volumes.
They do it with a smile and a hum in their voice. Having a heart that can hum or sing and do the dirty work while they clean is a beautiful thing to take notice of. You know they are digging into some of the most atrocious jobs while cleaning toilets, wiping down smelly changing tables, sweeping crumbs off the floor left behind from toddlers, or mopping up a messy kitchen floor, and yet, they do it all with a hum and song and with gladness, something that I admire and have taken notice of.
From what I’ve observed, they are beautifully meticulous. They don’t do a half-hearted job. They go the extra mile to make sure all the messy work gets done to almost perfection. They do these jobs with precisely the right size garbage bags, air freshener that greets your sense of smell as you walk into the building, and immaculately vacuumed floors that’s taken them hours to sweep. They care about the details; it is important to them, and they want to do their best so that those they serve have a place that is clean and welcoming.
Growing up in a fast-paced world, it is easy to overlook the detailed hard work of these beautiful servants that take precious time to clean with gladness, humbleness of heart and perfection. We tend to overlook them and take them for granted but in essence they are the ones who make our places of worship or workplaces, sanctuaries that are welcoming and beautiful.
The next time you step inside a classroom, a sanctuary, an auditorium, a school, or a bathroom, notice how well it is kept and take time to thank those servants of God that took the time to clean with a hum in their heart, a song on their lips and heart with gladness. These servants of God are worth gold to the Kingdom of God. Thank you to those cleaners who serve with gladness! The Kingdom is blessed to have you!