In Which I Try My Hand at Holiness

Today I literally happened across a post called "As A Holy Woman Would" by a woman named Amie on her blog "Life With the Boys".
From her post:

"Pick one thing a day, and do it as a Holy Woman would..."

"It can be a regular ordinary day thing, just do it with proper Spirit and appreciation..."

"Everything we do can be done better, with more peace, with deeper intent, from doing our daughters' hair to driving the carpool to cleaning the grout on our tiled floors."

I was inspired, so I went out shoveled the snow outside my apartment.

Today is a Saturday, the first of the semester break. I assumed that maintenance would not be out shoveling for another week and a half...that has seemed to be the norm in the past.

(Alright, so I was just excited to use the new shovel and let Jesse take care of the Oliver who just woke up and was hollering for his breakfast. And I hate walking in the snow. Mostly selfish...not so holy.)

I finished with our front stoop and walkway...too easy to be holy...and I moved over to the number 6 neighbors.

The sweet neighbors who I had never met when they knocked on my front door and asked if they could give me a brand new walker for my son. Shoveling their walkway could be a way to thank them for their thoughtfulness and generosity. I began shoveling, happy for this chance to help them out.

It was quick and painless. So I moved to the number 7 neighbors.

These are the neighbors who had knocked on the front door and extended an impromptu dinner invitation after a long day, then held my screaming baby while I scarfed down my fill and bowed out. They had no idea that I hadn't gotten around to eating a whole lot that day, but I was grateful still. Later they brought a movie and popcorn for us all to share. Shoveling for them could be holy couldn't it? I started on their snow with the zeal of a Holy Woman, happy to be serving someone else.

By this time, the novelty of my new shovel had warn off. I wanted to go inside, drink some hot chocolate, laugh with Jesse, and cuddle my Oliver...who by now would be fed and happy for sure. I decided that I would take this chance to perform one more holy act of shoveling and get the rest of the main sidewalk in front of the parking lot. This could be helpful to anyone walking by...a little bit holy right?

As soon as I finished shoveling the sidewalk, a maintenance vehicle showed up and a man with a shovel hopped out. His snow removal effort, however shoddy, was now going to take the credit for my holy acts...

I was significantly bothered by this until I remembered that I was still trying to attain a status of holiness...

I realized that humbling myself, and being happy with saving work for the maintenance guy and helping my neighbors, with no merit whatsoever, would be the most holy element of my shoveling escapade. So I waved a thank you to the maintenance guy and went inside to play.

For the record...it is not holy to judge the shoddy work of the man from Physical Facilities. I know this. It is also not holy to brag about service in the spirit of getting attention or praise....but I'm not. I promise. I am blogging it to remember the lesson I learned.