Not sure where I picked up the muck, but there was plenty of it on the kitchen and hallway floors. I tried sweeping it up but to no avail. I tentatively picked up a piece of the sludge but still couldn’t identify exactly what it was or where it came from. I just know that it blemished my nice, clean floors.
Taking off my household slippers, I quickly discovered the source of the mess. The soles of my footwear were freckled with blobs of whatever that black stuff was. Disgusted, I took them off and put them into a basin of hot water and soap. This morning the “stuff” is still on them so I took a stiff brush to them. That, sadly, must be followed by a thorough scrubbing of the floors.
The only thing I can think of was a quick run to the neighbour’s house. It hadn’t rained and I figured there was no need to change into outdoor shoes. Wrong.
Out of all this mundane event was a stern lesson for me and, I suspect, for many others, too. Be careful what you pick up and even more, be diligent that you don’t spread it around!
Days of partial, if not total, isolation are challenging. I miss seeing and chatting with my friends; even telephone conversations aren’t quite the same. Added to that is the lack of activities that were often a delightful source for topics of interest. In any case, let’s be careful to avoid spreading verbal dirt.
I’ve found that sharing testimonies of God’s grace during these difficult times along with intentional words of encouragement are important. An added blessing this week was a time to do both with friends I just happened to meet in town.
“Kind words are like honey — enjoyable and healthful.” Proverbs 16:24 (Living Bible)
