Lesson One
So Thursday was Thanksgiving, as you are probably aware. And everyone in the family wanted to dress just so. Something casual, but nice. Something that said “Thanksgiving” but also took into account the fact that the forecast called for 87. And that was near the coast. We were headed farther inland where the temp probably was 6 or 8 degrees higher.
My daughter and I had given it some thought in the days beforehand, cuz, you know, we’re girls. But my boy and my man didn’t decide until that morning. Which is why my husband came looking for me that morning, dripping and wrapped in a towel, wanting to know if a specific pair of jeans was clean.
Now, all his jeans look alike to me, so I wasn’t sure, but I told him to check the clothesline and sure enough, there they were, clean and dry and ready for him. Yay!
Laundry “miracles” happen not infrequently around here. Every few weeks someone will ask me for something and I’m able to say, “Yup; that’s ready for ya! It’s in the basket/on the line/in the dryer!” And I’m pleased for them and they thank me, but really, the miracle is not due to me. No, I was just doing my laundry. Just doing my part. The perfect timing ~ well, I can’t take credit for that.
So, Lesson #1? ~ Don’t take credit for the miracles you played a part in. He provided the brains; He provided the hands; He provided the materials. Be glad He used you at all.
~
Lesson Two
Turns out that my sweetie and I discussed laundry on our way to Thanksgiving dinner. Go figure. We talked about laundry miracles and how I’m always so glad when what my family needs is ready for them to wear. And in the course of explaining to him how it’s really providential that clothes are ready when they’re needed, I explained to him my laundry routine.
See, if one of my family members needs something quickly, they know to put the item directly on the washing machine, and I’ll do my best to return it back to them within a day or so. But for the most part, I have a very purposeful routine to my laundry-doing. For instance, if I wash rugs or the dog’s bed, I don’t like for our delicates to be the next thing in the washer. It just seems sort of icky, you know? So after one of those loads, I’ll do jeans and towels, and then the load following that will be lightweight things.
I also prefer to do jeans and towels earlier in the day, because I like to hang them on the line outside, to dry in the sun. So if I do those too late in the day, especially this time of year, I won’t benefit from the sun.
The third thing I think about is the color order. I like for the light-colored clothing to follow the light-colored pants and towels. A lot of things get hung, so I can generally combine the dryable items from two loads to save energy. So those things need to all be similar in color.
Scintillating stuff, isn’t this?
But I told you all that so I could tell you this: When I do laundry, it isn’t random. It’s planned and executed with good reason for the benefit of my family, my time, and our heat and water bills. It might not make sense to my family, but as long as they have clean sheets and underwear, they really don’t care. They trust me.
So, Lesson #2? He knows what He’s doing. He has a plan, and that includes the timing of the things that affect you. Let Him know about the things that are important to you, and then trust Him to do what’s best for you.
~
Yup. Laundry. To a teachable spirit, there are lessons everywhere.
Light Expectations 