One of my many part-time jobs while getting my education was a night janitor at a church. It was my responsibility to clean the administrative building. This building housed all the pastoral staff offices, reception area, staff meeting space, and the location of the print shop. Yes! This church had its own print shop.
Opening the door of one office I began my vacuuming. I made sure, which I typically did, to close the door so as to get the space blocked by an open door. On this occasion I discovered sawdust. Turns out this pastor had a coat hook installed on the back of the door. Whomever did it neglected to clean up the residual from the job. Aren’t people suppose to clean up after themselves?
When I arrived the next evening, the pastor, who occupied the office. where the coat hook had been installed was still there. I greeted him. He then unfolded an interested story.
He said to me, “I wanted to tell you great job vacuuming behind the door. I actually told the individual who installed the coat hook not to clean up the saw dust. I wanted to see how thorough your were in your job.”
I could have been a bit perturbed by this action. Why test me? What had I not been doing that might have caused him to run this little test?
Instead, I was proud. I did what I always did. I worked at doing my job well. I vacuumed in a manner I’d want someone to treat my carpeted areas. I did not do what I did to pass a test, but doing what I did confirmed my effort.
I learned it is what you do in the unseen areas that impact how you are viewed in the seen. If I had not vacuumed behind the door I would have been viewed as short-cut taker. I may have been questioned in other areas of how efficient I actually was.
We need to vacuum behind the doors. We need to work in the unseen areas so we can have integrity in the seen aspects of our lives.
What behind doors have you been a bit lax on? What needs to change to ensure you vacuum behind them?
When we do what is necessary where no one might look. When someone does look they will discover a person of integrity.