By Kiera Rich – KRich13@bellsouth.net
We live in a very special apartment complex.  The management cares about each of it’s residents and really goes out of the way to give them a happy home.  I know this because of a recent improvement project that was undertaken.  Did the management choose to remodel their “State of the Art” fitness center?  I wish.  I also wish I knew what ”State of the Art” looks like in 2008, because we have a lovely specimen of what it looked like in 1988. 

Did the powers that be decide to address the problem of the all-you-can-eat termite buffet that graces our lives (And our walls.) every spring?  Maybe they replaced the community barbeque grills?  Those things could absolutely use a remodel, as the last person to cook on them also drew little stick-figures on the walls of their cave.  Those grills are just nasty!  Granted, there truly is nothing like the smell of freshly grilled salmonella in the spring!

Did the management create a dog park so our canine neighbors would have somewhere to do their duty instead of in front of the community mailboxes?  Nope.  Those improvements, practical as they are, were put on the shelf for something bigger and better!

I have to hand it to them.  They really thought outside the box on this improvement.  I didn’t even realize there was a need for an improvement, that’s how cutting-edge the idea was!  And now, I have the privilege to be the first to tell you the big news. Are you ready?  Make sure you’re sitting down because this is a momentous improvement.  Drum roll, please!  The big capital improvement campaign for this year was….the dumpster.

That’s right!  The dumpster.  Remember, you heard it here first!

Because the dumpster is near the only exit and entrance to our complex, we had front row seats to its transformation.  We watched in confused fascination as the improvements began to take place.  First the old fence surrounding the dumpster came down.  It was replaced with a cute little substitute.  Nothing says, “Home Sweet Home” like a plastic, white, lattice fence.  Next came the new dumpster itself.  Shiny green and ready for action.  Next, we got new flood lights.  Four of them – which bathe the whole area in a cozy, ambient glow.  The complex is fairly well lit anyway, so I must confess that I was a little mystified by this improvement.

Thankfully, Jeff was quick to explain.  “Health-conscious raccoons,” he stated.  “They need the light to read labels on the stuff they pull out of the trash so they can make sure they’re not eating trans-fat.”  Smart little things, those raccoons.

The final improvement was perplexing too — even to Jeff.  The wise and wonderful people who own and manage our apartment complex built a very nice deck by the dumpster.  A deck.  No, it’s not a step to get one closer to the point of dumping.  That would have actually made sense.  It also might fix the problem we have with the hot shots shooting air balls with their Hefty bags.  No, this deck is at the remote end of the dumpster.  As it went up, we actually waited for them to add a little bistro set — maybe with one of those umbrella tables.  We figured they would begin serving lemonade and cookies to us each time we came home.  But alas, we were wrong again. 

Every summer many communities around the globe do Shakespeare in outdoor theaters.  Throughout my college years, I attended a festival called “Shakespeare on the Green.”  It was a beautiful thing — watching a classic under the stars.

Finally, finally, FINALLY it dawned on Jeff and I that our deck was not a deck but actually a balcony.  And what better use for a balcony than to stage a production of that age-old love story, “Romeo and Juliet.”  We could call it “Shakespeare on the Green Dumpster.”  We would invite all the raccoons…well, except for the foamy-mouthed ones.  We would serve trans-fat free snacks at intermission.  It would be a wonderful celebration!  People would travel from miles around to watch the show!  It would become a yearly tradition!  We could sell tickets and…

Are we to the point in this blog where you are convinced that I’ve totally lost my mind?  Well, I haven’t.  Not yet, anyway.  But are you with me on this?  Doesn’t planning a performance of Shakespere for non-rabid woodland creatures who care deeply about their cardiovascular health, make slightly more sense than trying to beautify a trash dumpster?    We could plate the thing in 24 karat gold; but, the reality would still be the same.  It would still be a container of filthy, stinky, rotting trash.

I dated a guy once who I thought was quite the catch.  He was handsome and polite.  He was smart and interesting.  Everyone loved him — including me, for a while.  But inside this amazing package was one of the ugliest people I’ve ever known.  And it took me so long to realize it because I was focused on his outward appearances instead of what was inside.

The world tells us that image is all that matters.  God tells a different story in 1 Samuel 16:7.   “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’

So, what has God seen in your heart this week?  Has it been loving thoughts toward your spouse and children?  Has it been kind words (Spoken or not.) to that person at work who seems to do nothing but cause trouble?  Has it been the joy that comes from spending time in prayer with the One who made you?  Or has it been the other thoughts.  The prideful, mean, selfish, hateful, jealous, angry kinda thoughts?

I’ve had both kinds this week.  But one afternoon, as I was mentally re-hashing some earlier events, I found myself trying to put a better “spin” on my mean thoughts and even, believe it or not, on my mean words.  Finally, God was able to break through the candy-coating that I was cooking up.  He remind me that no matter how I package my sin, it’s still just that.  Sin.  It’s ugly and rotten and filthy and it smells.

Our dumpster is really a sight to behold.  Look me up if you’re ever in Atlanta and I’ll give you a personal tour.  Be sure to come at night so you can experience the lights and raccoons.

As much as I laugh about the insanity of sprucing up the dumpster, it has also become a good reminder for me.  On a normal day, I pass it at least twice.  Each time I leave or come home, I am reminded about God and the sin that separates me from Him.  I am also reminded of the price that was paid and the love that was freely given to me.  But most importantly, I am reminded that I need to be honest and accountable and quit trying to package my sin as something it is not.  God knows better and I need to quit acting as if I can pull one over on Him.

Our dumpster is a stinky, rotting, infested mess of filthy trash.  And it always will be just that –  no matter how pretty we try to make it.

By Kiera Rich – krich13@bellsouth.net

We are a part of the community at a fairly large suburban apartment complex in Atlanta.   As with any slice of the population pie, most of our neighbors are fairly normal, conscientious, semi-thoughtful people.  This blog is for not for those people.  This is for our other neighbors.   Here are some things that I would like for you to remember.

1.  Thou shalt not allow your dog to poop in front of the mailboxes.  If this action is unavoidable at LEAST have the courtesy to clean up after said dog.

2.  Thou shalt not use the exercise room as your personal phone booth.   Mobile phones are just that.  Mobile.  Feel free to roam on back to your own apartment and argue with your girlfriend to your heart’s content.  I’m sure your wife won’t mind.

3.  Thou shalt not lift weights, move furniture or do ANYTHING that involves dropping heavy things on the floor at 3 AM.  I don’t care if it’s a weekend, there are non-insomniacs below you who are sound asleep and wish to stay that way.

4.  Thou shalt not use more than one parking place per vehicle.  Your car is not the Presidential limo.  If you are so concerned that it might get scratched, feel free to park far away from the building.  There are plenty of spaces available.  Use as many as you wish.

5.  Thou shalt not allow your children (Or anyone else!) do anything in the pool except swim.  `Nuf said.

6.  Thou shalt not, when exiting a parking place, do so without checking for on-coming traffic.  You are entering a moving lane of traffic.  You do not have the right away.  Ever.  No matter how fast you’re going.

7.  Thou shalt not stand in common areas and smoke.  What you do in your apartment is your business.  What you do while standing in front of our door is our business and we are in the business of avoiding lung cancer, thank you very much.

8.  Thou shalt not be a slob.  The management has given us a wonderful, compacting dumpster for our trash.   It is both convenient and accessible.  Please use it.  No, dumping a bag 10 feet from the dumpster is not “just as good”.  If you try to make a bank shot with your Hefty bag and miss, please clean up after yourself.  Old Jalapeno peppers and coffee grounds do not smell nice when they’re baked in the July sun for several hours.

9.  Thou shalt always clean up after your dog.  Although I already touch on this in commandment 2, it’s such an important concept that I felt the need to address it again.  I’m happy you have a dog.  I really am.  I understand that dogs need to relieve themselves.  So please be a good pet parent and clean up after your pup!

10.  Thou shalt not steal.  God made this pretty clear in Exodus 20.  So to whoever swiped my bike off our porch, please give it back.  I won’t ask any questions.  I promise.

In Mark 12, Jesus tells us to love God above all else.  Ok, that’s fair easy to understand.  Then He throws a curve ball when He says that the next important commandment is to “Love your neighbor as yourself”.  Gets a little trickier there, doesn’t it?  If I love my neighbor as myself, would I want myself to step in steaming dog poop?   Would I want myself to be awakened out of a sound sleep by a terrifying bang?  Would I want myself to have my bike stolen?  Nope.

Then again, would I want myself to be the subject of a stranger’s blog entry?  Probably not.  Would I want myself to get honked at and glared at when I make a mistake and pull from a parking place into moving traffic?  Not so much. 

So how do I fix a problem that is as much about me as it is my neighbors?  How is it possible for someone who tries so hard to live according to God’s Word to still fall so painfully short?  How did I get to be so judgemental?

I don’t know the answers to those questions.  I do know that God put me in this particular place for a reason and it was not so I could write this blog about my neighbors.   Maybe if I tried harder to be friendly.  Maybe if I worked on improving my bad attitude.  Maybe if I cleaned up a mess that someone else created.  Maybe if I exercised a little patience with those around me and didn’t just assume that they are all out to inconvenience me.  Maybe.

I believe that the Bible is God’s true and perfect word.  It would be incredibly arrogant of me to think that I could add a thing to what He’s already done.  But in my mind, I think maybe I’ll add an 11th commandment.  Just for me.  Just as a reminder.

“Thou shalt not be selfish”.  That is something I need to tell myself daily if not hourly.   ”Thou shalt not be selfish” is something that I need to do, not just tell myself.  “Thou shalt not be selfish” is a really hard thing to do; but, in the true spirit of this new commandment, if anyone else wants to borrow it as a mantra for their life, please do — especially if you’re my neighbor, are riding a stolen bike and own a dog!