Paying Other's Debts

After finishing a Sunday school one day, many children were still in the room, each was playing their own games / crafts. Some of them just left without cleaning up their own mess. Knowing that the room would be used for a meeting soon, I asked the children who were still there to clean up. And one of them grumbled, and said to me, "I wasn't the one making that mess!" And I just replied to him, "We should help each other. So, let's clean it together." Easy for me to say at that moment, for I was not in his shoes. Since then, I kept on thinking of what I did / said to that child. It was clearly not fair for him. But it seems like the only choice I got, since I did not know exactly who else were there playing before.

If I knew whose mess it was, would I look for the child and ask him/her to come and clean? I might, but what if the child already left? Should I just clean it myself? Though it was only papers, crayons, cards, and other things that could easily be done by myself in 5 minutes. But, as a teacher, I felt I need to teach them some responsibilities, such us cleaning and helping others, which the child turned out to be unhappy about.

Later on, I had a similar situation at work. In my workplace, we share almost everything, such as tables, computers, all of the office tools, such as scissors, markers, etc, and not to mention we must share tasks, which lots of them are not clearly divided, since there are many cases that need immediate actions. And often time when that case happens, it can't wait for the person in charge to do it, and someone must do it immediately. I usually follow the Nike trademark - JUST DO IT - no matter how much tasks I already have in hand. Though, if I look at others, I would be very reluctant, and do it involuntarily. I found that many of them just like to do whatever they need at that moment, and left it wherever they want. If it's about leaving their drinks, papers, bins, and other stuff all over the place, I can't blame it all on them, for I do those things too some times, and forgot to place them back in where they belong. And others had to clean up what I left off. However, many days I grumbled to myself, not knowing what to do. In that kind of situation, I remember that boy at my church, and how he must have felt.

In some cases, others are probably really wrong. Yet, what I do is merely focusing on their wrongs, and thinking of my own rights. This wouldn't solve the problem even if I keep on doing the right thing, by doing extra works that others supposed to do. I found this just add into my self-righteousness, and makes me feel even more miserable. But if I stop doing what I have been doing, and "take it easy" as others do, I am just being ignorant, and not only I wrong myself, but also others, e.g. the patients who can't do much but solely depend on people like me, to work together with other staff to help them get better.

Just now, as I read again a passage in C.S.Lewis book, Mere Christianity, chapter 4, The Perfect Penitent, it reminds me to the fact that "Christ was killed for us, that His death has washed out our sins...The one most people have heard is... the one about our being let off because Christ has volunteered to bear a punishment instead of us. Now on the face of it that is a very silly theory. If God was prepared to let us off, why on earth did He not do so? And what possible point could there be in punishing an innocent person instead? ... it is a matter of common experience that, when one person has got himself into a hole, the trouble of getting him out usually falls on a kind friend...."

Lord, please keep my eyes upon You, You alone, whenever I face a hard time like this,  for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.