Matthew 5:45b
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
In our household, laundry is my domain. My husband, Danny, hasn't had to run one load of clothes since we married in 2005. Really!
Do I mind? Not at all! I love my Energy Star front-loader which washes our clothes so efficiently. But, what I love most of all is being able to hang our laundry outdoors to dry. Yes, you heard me right. I like hanging the clothes on the line!
Before you stop reading the post at this juncture because you've decided I'm a bit daft, please allow me to share my rationale for doing this instead of using the dryer.
- We save energy. As Ben Franklin reminds us, a penny saved is a penny earned. What's wrong with being frugal? Those dollars not spent now will mean more money in the future. How can that be a bad thing?
- I get more exercise. Although I work out in the gym on a regular basis, lugging the basket of wet, heavy clothes from the basement to the deck, and then hanging them out, pulling them in when dry, folding and putting them away, well, I think that counts for at least half a workout!
- It's organized! I have a regimen with regard to how I hang clothes. Those that require the most drying time, like jeans, are penned first. When all else is dry, I can give these items the time they need without having to take them off the line and put them back up.
- It's organized, again! When I hang clothes out, I can pin them in such a way that it makes putting them away in closets and drawers so much easier. The dryer, while convenient and quick, jumbles the clothing and calls for the extra effort to seek and sort and coordinate. Not a big fan of randomness.
- Did I mention I don't like randomness? When it comes to my clothespins, I have them arranged by color. No article of clothing requiring two clothespins can be of different colors. They must match! Okay, I admit, this is
somewhattruly anal on my part. But, when did God ever say we can't have some order in our lives? Hanging up clothes this way makes me feel better. Can't explain. Just does . . .
But, this summer, my clothesline and I have had limited interaction. God has sent us more rain in these months than we have seen in forever! In fact, I've used the dryer more in Jun and July than I have in the past two years. Honestly!
I am grateful for the much needed rain, but I also long for those bright, sunny days. I know that God will send both in His time. I know He is with me each and every day, no matter what the forecast.
He is there.
With us always . . .
Rain or shine, summer or winter . . .
Righteous or unrighteous.
God is there!
~
Do you have any quirky habits when doing chores around the house?
Will you pray with me?
We thank You, Father, for being with us always, whether or not we deserve it. We cannot earn Your blessings, yet you bestow them freely upon us. Your love shines down upon the deserving and undeserving. Your sunshine and rain fall upon the righteous and the unrighteous. May we simply be thankful for all Your many blessings. Amen.
I really enjoyed this! My dad, Jack, shared this post with me because I too hang out my laundry when possible. I have definitely had my sanity questioned because I have three under five, including one in cloth diapers. However, I have found that to be one of my favorite places to meet God. There is a peacefulness in the order (and exercise!) that I don't find many other places, one of those being the garden.:)
ReplyDeleteHi, Lee! Thanks so much for stopping by, and welcome to Meditations of My Heart - it's great to have you on board. :)
DeleteOh, and so glad to know I have a "laundry sister" out there. You are determined, hanging out those clothes with little ones around, so three cheers for you.
And, yes, it is a wonderful place to meet God.
Blessings to you!
I don't have much time for chores -- all that writing-- so I try to be organized about it, but what I do enjoy about it, is how my mind goes blank. I put on some tunes and wiz around the house. For about 30 minutes it sparkles, but after that ... well, it's back to a house with life and loved ones. Thanks for this Martha, enjoyed throughly.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you dropped in today, Brenda, and that you enjoyed the post.
DeleteSometimes, it does us good to allow our minds, always whirling, to go blank. If that's what chores help you do, more power to you! :)
Blessings, my friend!
And it's so much for fun this way, right, Martha:)
ReplyDeleteAll over Asia, people hang their clothes out to dry and take advantage of the sun. I remember hanging clothes out and bringing them back in. Sun-dried clothes just have a different, more comfortable feel about them:)
While I do not hang my clothes out to dry anymore, I usually hand wash more of my dishes instead of the dish washer. i don't know if that's strange or odd but that's something I've done for the last few years.
Yes, Vishnu, there's nothing sweeter smelling than clothes dried on the line!
DeleteWashing dishes by hand? If it was only me living here, I'd do the same thing as you. However, my family, especially my husband, the cook, generates LOTS of dishes, so my dishwasher is a lifesaver.
Thanks so much for visiting today, my friend!
Blessings!
He is there.
ReplyDeleteWith us always . . .
Rain or shine, summer or winter . . .
This is what keeps me moving forward! Xx
Thanks so much for visiting, my friend! Yes, God's presence does help us to keep on moving on with hope!
DeleteBlessings to you!
Too many quirks to mention, but I love that verse!
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by, Galen! Glad to know I'm not the only quirky one out there, and that you love this verse.
DeleteBlessings, my friend!
Oh you're so right Martha ~ I smiled at the points you raised on the advantages of hanging the clothes dry instead of using the dryer. Sometimes, we wish things to be more comfortable and easier for us that we forget how fun it could be to do these tasks.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a dryer neither and I do not particularly like to hang the clothes hahaha because I have to go to the attic which is 3rd floor for us. We don't have the luxury of a yard outside :P Imagine, this rainy season, how the clothes smell because they don't dry well :P hahaha
Going deeper into your reflection and the passage, I am grateful that we have a just and loving God, consistent and faithful ~ Omnipotent, Omniscient ~ worthy of praise and all our love. However, we only reach out to Him when we we are in trouble.
I pray that we could also be there for Him in all the moments in our lives ~ simple they may be ~ rain or shine, I wish to be there for You too Jesus. I wish to be there for my brothers and sisters who are thirsting for kindness, attention and love ~ rain or shine [with the dryer or without, with the clothes line or not :P]
Love you dear friend! Thank you for being there for me ~ always through your love, prayers and support. Know that I am always with you too in my prayers.
Oh about the chores, I found none I'm so quirky about, hahaha...but I'll let you know ~ I haven't noticed any at this time.
DeleteThanks so much for coming by, Melissa, and for leaving such a beautiful comment.
DeleteI can just imagine that, in your situation, hanging up clothes is not fun, and the rainy season makes it worse, I know.
But, it is so, so important that we not wait until we are in need of God to call upon Him. We need to see him, as you said, in rain or shine.
Love you, too, dear one! Yes, I'm praying for you every day. Your name is at the top of my prayer list.
Love and blessings!