“As we therefore have opportunity, let us do good to all men…”
(Galatians 6:10)
Pt. 1
My wife and I were rearranging the contents of our pantry yesterday,
and as I bent to pick up a small bin of dried, macaroni style noodles, I dropped
it on the kitchen floor, and approximately 3,483 of the little critters “hit
the deck,” and not only scattered across 40 square feet of said floor, but our
dining room, and living room, as well.
And, as a result, since I had managed to create such a big
mess, and since it seemed a bit beyond our capabilities, we just left it there.
(Not).
No, my wife simply got out her handy dandy broom and dust pan,
and we set to work cleaning up the mess. And you know, after a bit of time, and
effort a minimum of 3,403 of the original noodles had been transferred to the
kitchen garbage can.
I have often told anyone who cares to know, (and some who didn’t)
that over the past thirty years I have counseled thousands, taught hundreds,
and mentored dozens; in the context of my counseling practice, my roles as a
university professor, pastor, and 12 Step recovery group, a residential
ministry to former prison inmates, and the Christian discipleship, and
counseling training programs which I developed, and taught.
And given the myriad of people whom I have intervened for the
past three decades, you can imagine that I have met people whose lives reminded
me of… a floor covered with macaroni noodles. And, as a result, I have just
sighed, shrugged my shoulders, shook my head, and walked away from the mess.
Pt. 2
Well, anyone who knows me knows that’s not what I did; no more
than my wife and I left those 3,403 macaroni noodles on our kitchen, dining
room and living room floors.
And among some of my clients, students, parishioners and
interns I often witnessed slow, but steady change, and growth and maturity;
whereas, at one time their lives had been a total mess. And sometimes, the
change and growth and maturity was much faster, and much more impressive. And
sometimes, for all my time and efforts, I have witnessed little or no change
and growth and maturity. But it certainly wasn’t for lack of effort on my part.
But hearkening back to the mess I managed to make on my
kitchen floor, I expect you have “done the math” and have noticed the
discrepancy between the original number of macaroni noodles, and the grand total
which I managed to collect, and consign to the trash bin. And to be sure,
before the day was over, I managed to step on several of those lost little
critters on my living room and dining room floors.
The implication? If a counselor, professor, pastor, leader or
mentor expect the figurative pieces of macaroni to line up, salute and jump in
the garbage can “all by their lonely’s”, he or she will be waiting a very long
time.
The work of the ministry takes time and work, sometimes lots
and lots of it, and sometimes, surprisingly not so much. And sometimes for all
one’s time and efforts, the net result can be a bit disappointing.
And sometimes, for all the obvious growth and change among
those with whom we have to do, those who have exerted the most influence, as
well as others, end up figuratively stepping on a few random pieces of macaroni
on the living room floor of life.
I think it is healthy for counselors, ministers, professors,
leaders, and mentors, alike, (all roles I have filled in my life), as well as
those to whom they seek to minister and change, to be patient with themselves
and others; realizing that it can take time and effort to clean up the
figurative macaroni. And sometimes you and I are prone to step on one of those
stray critters which have managed to hide behind a figurative couch or chair.
None of us are perfect, and none of us are capable of
perfection. I think it behooves us, as believers, to consider those stray bits
of proverbial macaroni in our own lives, those little flaws, tendencies, or
sins which trip us up at the most unexpected times, and to offer grace to those
among us who are walking the same pathway which we call life.
by William McDonald, PhD. Copyright pending
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