Spilled Milk
Carol Condon
www.carolcondon.com
It was going to be a special morning because I was having a breakfast date with my husband, who happens to be my best friend. Mark meets his mornings by leaping out of bed and greeting his new day with as much noise as possible. I, on the other hand, will ever so slowly peek between my eyelids and then close my eyes being very thankful for a new day. It is safe to say that I ease into my mornings while Mark jumps right in before his eyes are even open. However, getting to spend quality time together was worth leaping into this particular morning.
We were seated at one of our local breakfast establishments enjoying being with each other. Our table was next to the kitchen and Mark and I were observing how busy the waitresses were taking, filling and delivering orders to their guests. There was one waitress who rounded the corner when a cup of milk tipped and slashed over her tray onto the floor. She glanced at the spilled milk and kept on going. A few moments later she returned to the kitchen to fill her tray with meals for another table. She glanced back down at the milk on the floor and continued walking by.
A family was being led to their table. I noticed they had a little boy who was walking with one of his shoes untied and the laces trailed right through the spilled milk. Since we did not have a cloth to clean it up, we kept an eye on the spill to make sure no one slipped. After a few minutes a different waitress walked by and noticed the spilled milk. She quickly bent over and wiped it up.
I got to thinking about all the "spills" we have in life. So many times it is easier to walk on by rather than take the energy to clean it up. A lot of our messes are classified as "not our fault" so we just walk on by assuming that someone else will clean it up. However, our "spilled milk" may be the very thing that those following us walk through and end up stained, or even worse, they slip and fall. We have the ability to either be a support or a stumbling block. What is your choice?
I Corinthians 8:9 NLV
But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
I Thessalonians 5:11 NLV
So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
