The scenery moved forward on the stage. “Downstage” would be the correct term, downstage center. It appears to move automatically, the closeness allowing a better vantage point, a sharper focus. The music begins, a light string sound. The players enter the stage and open their mouth to speak. Their performance is the reason for this gathering, their incredible ability is the reason for our applause. The set is a partial home for the emotion and meaning of the show. Without the actors, this would be a loud museum. The actors give life to stagnant things.

——— Ugh! I JUST mopped this floor and then people came over, and their kids made a mess of everything, spilling milk and crackers. Now there’s sticky everywhere! The smile on my face might have conveyed another thought, but I was seething inside. “Oh it’s okay, I was going to mop anyway.” No, I just mopped. Why don’t people take care of their kids?! I had finally had enough and was complaining to the Bible study leader. She responded, “Why did you mop on Monday if you knew your house would be made messy on Tuesday? Couldn’t you wait to clean on Tuesday?” No, my cleaning days are Mondays and Thursdays. People just need to not be messy. People before things. Not things before people. What will you take with you? Your perfectly neat house? Your nice silverware? No, we are not Egyptian pharaohs. We cannot take those things in the end to buy our way anywhere. God looks at something else. And my heart, in this slice of my life, was rotting. Community group met on Mondays. Lots of families and even more kids. They all usually helped with clean-up but it was never to my standard. I’d usually have a cup of coffee during discussion, and after everyone left my body couldn’t relax. So I decided to clean. Take my previous leader’s advice and clean after the gathering, not before. What began to happen was nothing short of miraculous. In the sweeping and the mopping, my heart began to worship. My home was full of people trying to figure stuff out. My home was being used to draw families together, creating something new. My home was being moved automatically into center stage. It was a set for the actors to bring life to the stage. He did that as a stage director, not me as a museum director.