Sometimes the best way to react to a sticky situation is to add a little humor to it.

For this pastor, a congregation member noticed his routine of ‘borrowing’ the church vacuum. He took the situation and created a sweet situation.

Here’s the full story…

Pastor’s Unexpected Playful Revenge

As a former United Methodist pastor, I remember the early days after seminary when finances were tight. I recall how, at times, I struggled to make ends meet.

I couldn’t even afford a vacuum cleaner, so I’d occasionally ‘borrow’ the church’s vacuum to tidy up my living space. It seemed harmless enough, a small act to ease my financial strain.

Things took a turn…

One week, however, I kept the vacuum for longer than usual. When I returned to the church to borrow it again, it had vanished.

After a thorough search, I found it stashed away in an obscure closet. It was clear someone had hidden it from me.

Feeling a mix of frustration and amusement, I decided to play a subtle prank. I discreetly moved one of the altar candles to my office, mimicking the disappearance of the vacuum.

Someone noticed…

The following Sunday, as worship was about to begin, the lady responsible for cleaning the church approached me in a panic, reporting the missing candle.

In a moment of shared humor, I suggested, “Maybe the candle holder and the vacuum decided to run off together?”

Her friends found it amusing, and as she stormed off, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction that my prank had landed and she had approached me in public.

They felt bad…

Later, I discovered a gently used vacuum placed outside my office as a gift, a silent apology from someone who had underestimated my sense of humor.

That was twenty years ago, and even though I’m no longer a pastor, it’s not uncommon for former congregants to still bring up that incident if we happen to run into each other. It seems some memories have a way of sticking around longer than others.

Let’s see what Reddit thought about this petty revenge…

This commenter had a pun-y response!

Another user thought this was a nice, wholesome story.

This Reddit user related to the story, too.

It’s always good to bring a little humor to an awkward situation, and this pastor did just that!

If you liked this post, check out this story about an employee who got revenge on a co-worker who kept grading their work suspiciously low.