The View of a Glass Cleaner
I drove to my favorite spot in Arizona. The Grand Canyon Sky Walk.
I waited in a long line, as usual, for my turn to access the glass skywalk that perches 4000 feet above the Grand Canyon.
The glass walkway had been a place of joy for me. The View was astounding. As the sun moved, the shadows would turn and would give a completely different version of the View every hour. I loved painting and sketching the different shades and documenting the different angles. I could stay there for hours, taking it all in.
I had applied for jobs many times at the Grand Canyon Skywalk building so that I could be close to the View. The land was owned by the Hualapai Indian Tribe. The would not hire me because I was not an Indian.
Finally, I decided I would volunteer. I would do anything I could to serve there. The majesty of the View was worth my service. Every week, I contacted the group to see if there was anything I could do. My persistence paid off. I was contacted by the manager and they gave me a summer job. I would be working on the skywalk all by myself after closing at 4:30pm. I was going to be a Glass Cleaner. There could be no greater job for me. I could work until sunset and I had the View all to myself with no distractions.
I remember how much joy I felt that summer. At the end of the summer, I was approached by the manager. He acknowledged my love for the VIew and offered me a paid position. I would be the official Glass Cleaner during the day when patrons were present. I was ecstatic. There could be no better job, no better place. No better View. At the end of the meeting, he told me, “Pursue to view the View and not the view you view through." I had no idea what that meant but thanked him for the privilege to serve.
I stood on the skywalk as almost a greeter, welcoming patrons. I would point out the beautiful characteristics I had memorized and any hidden attributes I had found when studying the View. I was so happy and everyone was so happy there. I quickly cleaned up any spills or smears that may obstruct the View.
As time went by, I was called by the manager during my lunch break. Someone complained about some boot footprints on the glass that were obstructing the beautiful View. He ended the call with the same phrase, “Pursue to view the View and not the view you view through." I raced out and washed the marks quickly and made the glass as good as new. I was so happy to see it sparkle again. What a beautiful View.
That was the first of many calls.
A group of children came through and there were handprints on every square inch of the glass walkway.
Teenagers left lipstick marks. There were oily smears from people pressing their faces against the glass.
It rained one day, and the smudges were endless. Then came the spring pollen.
I began standing near the entrance of the bridge with my rag and spray. I began inspecting the shoes of the viewers. I let them know that keeping the glass clean was a very hard job. They needed to see me with cleaning supplies and maybe they would be more thoughtful of me.
One day a baby dropped his bottle. I quickly picked it up and scolded the mother, pointing out the milk drops on the glass.
An elder man had a cane that had mud on it and left a trail from start to finish. I followed him cleaning up every dot of mud as he made it. A therapy dog made its mark on the skywalk. A group of soldiers came to visit wearing combat boots that left footprints and smudges everywhere. I had to get extra cleaning supplies and temporarily close the skywalk so I could clean up after them.
How could people be so inconsiderate?
Everywhere I looked I could only see smudges, drops and smears.
I began pointing out every flaw to the patrons.
The harder I cleaned the worse the job got. It was never-ending. I even noticed how careless I had become with my own footprints. I was useless as a Glass Cleaner and could never have perfectly clean glass.
Something changed in me. I hated the people. I hated the glass. I even secretly began to hate the View that brought so many awful inconsiderate people into my life.
The manager called me into his office.
He asked a simple question.
"When you stand on that skywalk, what do you see?"
"SMUDGES, MUD, SMEARS and MESS. Never-ending Work," I quickly said.
"You have forgotten to pursue the VIEW," he said gently. “You now only view the view you VIEW THROUGH.”
“What does that mean? Speak English!” I said sharply.
The glass is not what we VIEW but is what we view THROUGH. People will always make that glass dirty. It’s part of having living creatures on our skywalk. If no one ever came to see the View, the glass would never be dirty.
Our job is not to accentuate or focus on the imperfections of those people, but to focus on the VIEW and help others do the same. Some people will never appreciate the View, but others will fall in love and will become a Glass Cleaner like you.
I asked you to be a Glass Cleaner because of your love for the View, not your love for the Glass. When you love the View, cleaning the glass is a privilege.
Don’t get distracted or sidetracked by people and their mistakes, their inconsistency, their shortcomings.
Take time falling in love with the View.
When they see your love for Him, and each other, they will know that you are HIS.
We must focus our eyes on Him.
His mercies are new every day. He is worth our praise and adoration.
He is worthy of our complete worship and surrender.
“Pursue to view the View and not the view you view through."
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."
