Day 10
Monday morning came and back to work we went, as preparations needed to continue for our first week of teen camp. There was another Christmas tree to put up, bathrooms to clean, and supplies to check in the art room. It was in the art room where I had the misfortune of learning one of those lessons I should have already learned. (You know the type: don’t touch a hot stove, make sure you move your fingers before slamming the door, always check the toilet paper before going to the bathroom. Basic stuff). I had the job of checking out the paint bottles to see if we had enough variety and which ones might be dried out. I had gone through multiple bottles when I came to a bottle of green paint. I shook it (with the lid on, of course) to see if it felt or sounded like there was liquid inside. Not hearing evidence of paint inside, I carelessly took of the lid and tipped the bottle to see if it was empty. It was at that point old, smelly, green tempura paint came rushing out of the bottle, eager to escape, all over my pants, socks, shoes, shirt, and floor.
Oops, my bad. I guess carelessness, paint, and assumptions don’t mix very well.
After I had cleaned up the floor, taken a shower, and washed my clothing and shoes twice, it was time for lunch. While enjoying leftover roast beef and mashed potatoes, I had time to reflect on the cascading green paint catastrophe. Just about everyone knows you don’t turn an open bottle of paint over. I know I knew that.
There are things of much more importance than paint of which we can get careless and make assumptions.
“I’m a good person. I don’t steal and I’m nice to my neighbors. I even go to church every Sunday. If I died I would go to heaven.”
“I’m a better person than Sally at the office. She’s been cheating on her husband for months. I would never do that. If I died I would go to heaven.”
We can try and tell ourselves that because we are “good people” and do all the right things that one day we will make it to heaven. The Bible speaks on this topic better than I could.
“Not everyone who calls out to me, “Lord, Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgement day many will say to me, “Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.” But I will reply, “I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.” (Matthew 7:21-23)
We can never be “good” enough to get to heaven on our own. It must be through believing in Jesus Christ. That is the one and only way.
“Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.” (John 11:25-26a)
Kind of crazy that this all comes from pouring green paint over myself. But we never know which day will be our last. I would hate to sit idly by while any of my friends or family might unintentionally combine carelessness and assumptions on something so important.
“You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.” (Hebrews 3:13)