Many in our group love exploring ideas, but I am happiest when I am cleaning for Watershed's Odd Job Squad, and the more murky and chaotic the mess, the happier I am. If when I tell this to co-workers or family, I get a look that suggests my head must be examined. I quickly give it a fancier title, dignifying this seemingly menial task with the name "contemplative ordering".
I believe that all of physical reality has spirit within it, and that as crazy as it sounds, I have been given the job of honoring that spirit. I love restoring sight to a dirty window, cleaning out neglected messes, rooting out a garden overrun by weeds, or straightening a chaotic living space. I love looking for the unkempt detail that no one else has seen, something that is asking not to be abandoned and discarded, but to be cherished and valued again. I love figuring out how a room can be best organized to make the life within it flow smoothly. And once a space has been ordered, I take pleasure in the happiness and peace of mind it gives to people to have a job done they would rather not have done themselves.
Looking back on my life, I know this task is not new to me. The ritual of cleaning my room on Saturday morning, or helping my father insulate a wall were jobs I loved even as a child.
Another benefit of working for Odd Job Squad is that I enjoy the contact it gives me with my friends in Watershed. As we work, we are free to talk the hours away, and since there's always a lot happening in our inner and outer lives, there are many fascinating nuances of life to explore through our conversation.
This place of service has always been a gift to me, a place where my anxieties are quelled, and I am given space to think more clearly as my hands are busy doing what I love. Even if clarity doesn't come for a while, I at least can know that I'm in the right place, serving a place I believe in. I am incredibly grateful for a place like Watershed which has helped me recognize and articulate what this gift is about. When I am confused or worried by the details of life, someone in the group is sure to point me back to the place where service heals.