The Tale of Two Toilets
“A clean toilet is proof that small acts of courage still exist.” ~ Anonymous
I know—what an intriguing title for a church blog. You’re probably expecting a euphemism or some clever wordplay. Not today.
This is a story about my growth in Christ, told through something as ordinary—and humbling—as the porcelain throne.
It began when I was in what we now call middle school. I had not yet received Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. I was a typical teenage boy: brash and arrogant on the outside, uncertain, vulnerable, and afraid on the inside. Puberty and adolescence collided, and I didn’t know who I was. Because of that, my logic applied only to the moment—short-sighted and self-focused.
One day in P.E.—my favorite class because it gave me a chance to show off how strong and fast I thought I was—we were told the gym needed to be prepped for the varsity basketball game that night. Instead of sports equipment, the coach gave us brooms. We pulled out the bleachers and raced around the gym sweeping the floor. It was work, but it felt like a game.
Then the coach called my name.
He said he had an extra task for me: clean the toilets and mop the men’s bathroom.
Every adolescent gene in my body revolted. I looked at him and said, simply, “No.”
Unused to being challenged, he asked me to repeat myself. Feeling emboldened, I said, “No. I don’t clean toilets at home, and I’m sure not going to do them here.”
Before you decide I was just being a jerk, let me explain. I worked hard at home—cut grass, maintained the garden, chopped firewood, and worked at my dad’s tire shop after school. I could split oak with a splitting maul. But I had never cleaned a toilet.
Still, my refusal wasn’t about chores. It was about pride. I thought I was too good for that task.
The coach was flabbergasted. He made the entire class sit in silence while he chewed them out—and made sure everyone knew it was my fault.
Fast forward a few years.
I was in college, growing in my relationship with Jesus Christ. One day I stopped by my church just to say hello. Brother Alvin was there cleaning. I asked if he needed help. He said everything was finished—except the toilets.
Instantly, my mind flashed back to that day in the gym. God definitely has a sense of humor!
I told him I could clean them.
He thanked me but suggested I pass, saying they were pretty nasty after the weekend. I stopped him and said, “No. I need to do this.”
I explained how, years earlier, I believed I was too good to clean school toilets. And now, it would be an honor to clean the church’s toilets. I both laughed and cried while working. I was amazed at the work that Christ was doing in me.
Same task – Different heart.
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns (Philippians 1:6, NLT)
EM