Cleaning the Temple Sink...
Camera Meyer
Orem, Utah
2/2011
I was at the temple. It was our regular monthly temple trip. I always change into my whites and then stopped at the ladies room before going to the chapel. I came out of the stall and saw a Hispanic woman washing her hands at the sink. I walked up and started washing my hands next to her. I watched as she finished and grabbed a few towels. She dried her hands and then proceeded to wipe down the sink and surrounding area before walking out. I smirked...must be a janitor or something and she's so used to it she doesn't even notice she's doing it. Wait. I stopped mid soap. Did I really just think that? Wow. Thats awful. I grabbed a couple towels. This woman was providing her service to the temple and patrons and I degraded her service by thinking such thoughts. I dried my hands and wiped down the sink and surrounding areas. I never saw that woman again. I don't really even remember what she looked like. Now I try my best to wipe down the sink after I wash my hands at the temple. Sometimes at church too. I've even done it at the movie theater. Every time I do, I think of that woman and lesson she taught me about service.
Camera Meyer
2 comments:
As a retired Meetinghouse Custodian, I felt that people really did not care about the building they worshiped in on Sunday. During the week, members would come and go, leaving behind messes that 'the custodian can clean up; that's his job'. But now, getting the youth to come and spend an hour taking out the trash, vacuuming classrooms, hallways, even cleaning the restrooms. I told one family:"if no one made a mess in the first place or cleaned up after themselves, they would still be home and not here". The chapels are where we worship our God and Jesus Christ. He can come to these buildings just like he can a temple, because they have be dedicated to Him. So remember where you're at next week and teach your children reverence to the Houses of the Lord, both temples and chapels.
I really enjoyed this post. I think in addition to not leaving messes behind, people at church could be better about helping people feel welcomed. I like to think about in the temple how we all sit together and feel united... and then at church meetings, it is as though we are afraid to be too close to those in our own ward. Large gaps are left and some people cannot attend Sunday School because there are not seats together to sit with their spouse or they would have to climb over others. I feel happy when someone will slide over and motion for me to sit by them. I think this too is a small but meaningful act of service.
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