The other day work was pretty slow, so a co-worker and I were trying to get some extra cleaning projects done. We were moving things, and sweeping things and rearranging things. We were doing a lot, to a lot of things. At work, we have a back room, where there is a list that has all kinds of fun cleaning activities. Bouncing all over the place, trying to do the most preferable ones first, we finally got to it. Yes. The next item on the list was the espresso bar – a place where terms like ‘soap’ and ‘scrub’ are a foreign language.
Now, from the outside, the espresso bar looks like, well, an average espresso bar. And it is. But underneath it, and behind it, that’s a completely different story. Being an optimist, (or a sarcastic cynic) I was saying how I felt like a pirate looking for hidden treasure. My co-worker explained that we were finding what they called ‘secret surprises.’
Sometimes, we have all kinds of ‘secret surprises’ in our lives. We neglect going deep into our problems, and only clean the visible, surface area. I mean, it’s the places people can see that matter, right? Not exactly. See, just as my co-worker and I dreaded the idea of cleaning around the espresso machine, people who are often around us will start to avoid certain aspect of who we are. It takes a dedicated friend, or co-worker to start moving things around and ask the questions that’ll help us to sweep out those areas.
“Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need” – Phil 2:25 (emphasis added).
What are the secret surprises that you’ve been avoiding in your life?
Is there someone you count on to be a faithful co-worker?
Zachary
