The Most Fun I've Ever Had in a Restroom - Girlfriends in God

March 9, 2015
The Most Fun I’ve Ever Had in a Restroom
Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth

A cheerful heart is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22 NIV).

Friend to Friend

A few months ago, I was in the airport headed to New Jersey. It was a typical rush, rush, rush morning. Grab the bags, trudge through traffic, hunt for a parking space, follow the herd, wade through security, dash to the gate.

Folks aren’t usually very friendly in airports. Eyes look straight ahead. Purposed feet slap the floor. Overstuffed bags roll behind. It’s not that people are grumpy. They’re just “flatish.” (That’s a new word for today.)

On this particular morning, I looked just like everyone else. “Flatish.” Before settling in at my gate, I decided to make one last trip to the restroom. I’m so glad I did. It was one of the most joy-filled places I had been in a long time.

Gretchen, the “hostess” for this privy, donned a silly little hat on her head with whimsical feathers waving about the top. If it wasn’t for the official attendant’s vest she was wearing, I might have thought she was on her way to Mardi Gras. With a spray bottle in one hand and a cloth in the other, Gretchen welcomed each “guest” into her “home.”

A woman in a green jacket exited a stall and Gretchen swooped in behind her.

Squirt, squirt squirt with the disinfectant. Wipe, wipe, wipe with her cloth. “Right this way, madam,” she motioned to the next person in line, “This one is ready for you! Come right in!”

With all the poise of a valet opening the castle doors for a person of honor, Gretchen welcomed each woman as if she were the most important person in her day. I stood back and watched as this 5 foot 5 inch bundle of joy wiped off toilet seats and cheerfully invited her next guest into the pristine stalls.

Gretchen had an effervescent sense of joy… wiping toilet seats. It seemed to come from a deep-seated heart of gratitude. And it spilled over to every single woman who left her station. Women entered weary and worn and left with a skip in their step and a smile on their face. Some even lingered…as if they wanted to soak in just a little bit more before facing the world.

On the counter rested a tip jar filled with thanks. But I don’t think the “tips” were for wiping the germs away from the toilet seats, but for wiping the doldrums away from the ladies’ hearts. And for some strange reason, I just wanted to give Gretchen a hug.

I did.

She didn’t mind.

Gretchen reminded me just how contagious gratitude and joy can be. And how desperately I want to be a carrier. I hope you do too.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, make me a woman of gratitude. I pray my heart will be infected with thankfulness and I will spread it to those around me. I pray the Holy Spirit will stop me from grumbling, and spur me to give thanks in all circumstances.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

List 10 things that you are grateful for other than Jesus and your family. I know you are thankful for those two. Let’s stretch. It doesn’t have to be big. I’m thankful for hot water! For indoor plumbing! For the sunshine! For the rain! For vacuum cleaners! For makeup! (Gotcha on that one didn’t I). For eyes that see! For the color of the sky! (I mean, it could have been orange.) For food in my pantry!

Once you get your list of 10, click over to my Facebook page. Leave your 10 in the comment box. I’m going to randomly pick one comment and send a free copy of my devotion book, Listening to God Day by Day.

If you follow me on Instagram, I’m posting a picture of Gretchen today. Check it out and see her funny little hat.

More from the Girlfriends

100 of Sharon’s best devotion in one book. Listening to God Day by Day is the perfect jump-start at the beginning of the day, pick-me-up during the day, or wind-down at the end of the day. It is also a great gift for a friend.