Rachel Whisman

If you look at the picture, you will notice that on the bottom shelf, there is a plate in the middle. To the right of this plate is a stack of bowls with a small dish on top. Moving your gaze up to the next shelf, you will see an iridescent juice glass in the middle out of place with the other mason jars. To your eye, this might seem normal, but to my eye, it caught me off guard. My plates and glasses are different from where they are supposed to be; they are misplaced, but how? 

Earlier that day, my neighbors, who are kids, (more like family) snuck into my place and bombarded my home with sticky notes everywhere as a surprise birthday prank. It was hilarious coming home and seeing a bunch of silly quotes on sticky notes all around my apartment. As I was cleaning up I hadn’t noticed that my dishes had been put away until one of them pointed it out to me. Instantly, my heart melted from the sheer kindness of this act of service. I live alone, so for someone to do something as little as this warmed my heart. The fact that my neighbor, who is nine, saw something he could do to help me out made me grateful. That’s where the misplaced dishes come in. 

Out of all the things a nine-year-old boy would want to do, he chose to put away dishes. He put these dishes away for me as an act of love. He tried his best, but it didn’t turn out perfect and that is ok. I do not care that the plates were not lined up correctly, or that the glasses didn’t go on the right shelf. All I knew was that he cared for me and showed it by doing this one little, seemingly insignificant thing for me. 

Looking at these misplaced dishes made me think about our offerings, prayers, and acts of service to the Lord. We are no different than my nine-year-old neighbor. What we offer to Him as His children are not always perfect, neat, and tidy, but more likely broken. However broken, it is genuine, and it reminds me that “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). Remember, broken, not perfect. We do it to the best of our ability, but we are human and sometimes we mess up along the way. We might ask Him for the wrong things, or do something in an inefficient way when there was a better way. However, God knows our hearts because He has, “Searched me and known me” (Psalm 139:1), and He does not look down upon His children for “This is the one whom I will look; he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66:2). He is not looking for perfection nor expects to find that in you. Christ is that for you. He expects you to come as you are, to offer from your heart, and take joy in doing it for your heavenly Father just as my neighbor so eagerly did for me.