I was thinking about taking a shower this morning when the housekeeper came in to collect trash, scrub the sink etc and mop the floor. I watched her quietly, and as she mopped near the bed I told her thank you. I added a moment later that I would love to be able mop floors again soon too, and she was making it safer for me so I could get healthier.
She mopped extra and with great care and a smile after that. Her work is as important in its way as everybody else’s here, and I knew it must be meaningful to her for that. Having someone acknowledge that out loud and thank her–it was what I could offer her.
When we acknowledge the importance of what someone does for us, however mundane a thing it may be, we acknowledge the inherent service and kindness behind it. I say this with a sense of wonder at the love I felt bloom in the room. I was not helpless no matter my condition, nor being helped; service is far greater than that. Rather, we were equals on every level before God in that moment.