"Alright. Some of us are clean freaks. Others prefer to live in organised chaos. One thing we can all agree on, though, is that our communities feel like nicer places when they're litter-free. It's better for the environment, and easier on the eye. Roll your sleeves up and make your world cleaner today.
Green: If you're not heading out today, or you only have half an hour, why not offer to do the chores for someone else in your house – a family member, or a house-mate perhaps. It might feel a bit awkward to ask your neighbour if they need anything cleaned up, but if you share a communal area, start there.
Amber: Grab some rubber gloves and a bin bag, and hit the streets for a community clean-up. If you want to get really fancy, you could even use separate bags for plastics and paper, and drop them off at your local recycling point when you're done.
Red: Remember that circle of friends you contacted yesterday? Well, today's your first chance to plan a get-together for a cause. Organise a cleaning party – perhaps you'll all get together to litter-pick, or clean off some graffiti, or repaint a community area that's looking a little tired (you might need permission from your local authority first). Put a date in the diary and start planning!"
I can't offer to do the chores for someone else, I can barely do the chores around my own home and Rachel and Mike have to help with so much more than they ever did before. I can't hit the streets; I'm not safe to cross the road on my mobility scooter any more because I can't see the traffic; and if I bent down from my scooter then I'd probably pass out.
Of course, I could organise a cleaning party or a litter pick like that we did at Oakwood Forest Church a few years ago, but it would feel like I was delegating this challenge to other people.
I guess this is what is meant by being in the wilderness; to feel so useless and so tempted to be despondent. But I know that God has other ways He uses me and I will pray that today He shows me ways I can clean up, perhaps by advocating for injustice locally. I will see.
This challenge has also prompted me to post about how I'm having to move from organised chaos to organised placement at home so I have a chance of ever finding anything. You can see that at MS Calling.
Hi Emma! I have come to your blog via the 40 Acts FaceBook page. I can (at least partly) understand how you find this Act challenging and maybe a bit depressing, if you can't see how you can do it. Last year, I found one or two Acts didn't call to me, or I couldn't see how to apply them to my life...So I prayed about it, and then put it on the back burner waiting for God's nudge (or, in my case, almighty kick up the bum - it's what I need!) I may not have completed the challenge on the day, but God used my willingness (or maybe lack of it) at another time. After all, this Challenge isn't just for Lent - it's about changing the habits of a lifetime...Maybe in a few days/weeks/months you'll see how this challenge is calling you. And if you don't, well, I'm sure that God won't mind!!
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