Yesterday was "National Clean Your Room Day."

 

Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

One of the many things that I love about being a chaplain is that people think I like to listen to their jokes, especially the bad ones. They mistake my "Oks" and "sures" for me being interested. 

I get to hear jokes like, "What do you call a Zombe cooking Stir fry?

I get to answer, "I don't care, I mean I don't know."

And they answer, "Dead man woking."

        Or

"Why did the bicycle keep falling over?"

I say, "Why?"

"It was two tired."

In the words of Monte Python, "Oh these are terrible times to be a shrubbier"

Yesterday was "National Clean Your Room Day."

I was pondering the fact that every day is "National" something day. As I ruminated on "National Clean Your Room Day." I couldn't help think about my mother. To her, everyday was "National Clean You Room Day." I never knew what the big deal was. I liked my room just the way it was. My toy trucks, and blocks, Mattel Hot Wheel cars and track, were just where I wanted them. Evidently, my toy trucks, and blocks, Mattel Hot Wheel cars and track, were not just where she wanted them. 

She would say, "Roger, pick up your toys." 

I would say, "I can't."

She would respond, "Why can't you pick up your toys?"

I would answer, "Because there are to many of them to hold all at once."

Then Mom would say, "I am sick and tired." I hated it when she was sick and tired. I didn't mind if she was sick, and I didn't mind if she was tired, but sick and tired, well that was a whole another level. When Mom said, "I'm sick and tired." a spanking usually followed. 

As she was busy turning my butt cheek into an interesting color of red she would say, "Why do you always have to have a smart___ answer.

I would say, "Use your words Mom. Words are important. You said 'Why can't you pick up your toys?' and I told you why I couldn't."

She said, "Fine, I will do a better job of using my words next time."

I said, "Why not now?"

Mom replied, "Because I am too busy using my wooden spoon right now."

All I could say was, "Oh" or was it "Ouch" I can't remember.

One day I asked why it was so important to have a spotless room. Mom said, "Well you never know when you are having guests."

I replied, "I never have 'guests', and the other kids that I play with, like my toys where they are too."

She just gave me the "LOOK". She was looking tired.

I asked her if she was tired, and she said, "Yes." I then smiled and asked her if she was sick too?

Looking back I think that was a bad move. She just turned and started walking out of my room.

I asked her, "Where are you going?"

She said, "The kitchen."

Have I ever mentioned that my mom didn't cook.

I asked her, "Why are you going to the kitchen, the phone is in the hallway?" She used the phone to cook with, it was a very important cooking tool I learned. It was like a miracle, or something. She would pick up the phone say some words and thirty minutes later food would miraculously appear at the front door. I never did figure out how she did that.

She said, "To get the spoon."

I fled out the window.

When I got older I realized that having a clean room was important; mostly because I started having "Guests" come to my house.

As I said, yesterday was  "National Clean Your Room Day." I was just sitting there wasting time with God, when He started talking about the importance of cleaning your room. I started to get nervous, but I didn't ask Him if he was sick and tired (See how smart I have gotten). 

He started talking about the importance of having a clean spiritual room. Of taking care of your thought life. 

As He talked, I listened to His words and pondered my spiritual room. Was it clean, or cluttered? I think I have a pretty good spiritual room, but It could use some straightening up. I see a dirty sock or two that need to put in the laundry. There are some cobb webs in the corner. I need to get rid of those too. 

I will continue to work on cleaning my spiritual room everyday, not just on "National Clean Your Room Day."

How about you, is your spiritual room as clean as you would like it?

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger