Proverbs 14:12
Before every man there lies a wide and pleasant road that seems right but ends in death.
I have to admit it. I have my quirks. Some of them are corrective impulses such as having to close bureau or kitchen drawers, and cabinet doors if they are left ajar. Another pet peeve involves dishtowels. It better be exactly where I left it when I go to dry another pot or pan.
Other oddities are even more deliberate and pronounced. Especially, when it comes to how I hang up towels and sheets to dry in the fresh, breezy air. No electric dryer for these babies! My husband, Danny, and I aren't into the modern day affinity for silky sheets and fluffy-cloud towels. Give us the sensations our grandparents loved!
Add to this the order in which I arrange each of these items on the line, and the photo above could appear beside the definition of "quirky" in the dictionary.
I always hang the towels first as they, obviously, take the longest to dry, and pin them on the line so their tags won't show. Really? Afraid so! Next, are the pillow cases, unopened ends over the line. Then comes the fitted sheet followed by the flat sheet. Why? Because when I remove the dry bedding from the clothesline, the fitted sheet, which has to go on top of the mattress, is on top.
Oh, and let's not leave out my weird clothespin ritual! I have two sizes of wooden pins. God forbid I should use the little ones until I've pressed all the large pins into service. Sacrosanct!
So, there you have it. My "right" way to hang up the laundry.
But I must confess here that my way isn't the highway, the wide and pleasant road on which everyone else has to travel. For what is suitable to one person's needs or preferences surely isn't one-size-fits-all. If I had Danny hang up the sheets and towels, I'm sure he'd have an entirely different system of deployment.
We all have our little, or large, idiosyncrasies, don't we? As long as we acknowledge that they belong to us alone, and not attempt to foist our habits onto someone else, we can confidently go upon our merry way, minding our own business.
Yet, this also reminds us that as Christians, who would love nothing better than for those who don't know Jesus as Lord and Savior, to choose to turn to Him, there is nothing we can do forcibly to convince them that His Way is the road to life. Yes, we can love them, pray for them, invite them to attend church with us, but like leading the proverbial horse to water, we can't make them drink.
We know the wide and pleasant road they are on leads to death. May God open their eyes to His Truth before it's too late.
And we keep praying that the lost will be found.
Amen!
My quirky idiosyncrasy is that I plant my herbs in the garden in alphabetical order. People ask me where I find the time. It's there, next to the sage! I wonder, who invented the alphabetical order? Why are letters in that order and not any other order? Is it to fit in with the alphabet song? And why does the alphabet song sound just like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star? Why so many questions so early in the day?
ReplyDeleteIt is my way, Martha, of saying I enjoyed today's post. And you're right; our way of meeting, loving and praising God should not be prescribed on everyone else. Suffice it that they get to know God in their own way.
Good post. God bless.
Victor, I just knew you'd share some idiosyncrasies here today! Thanks so much for the giggles. :)
DeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed the post, my friend. That means so much to me.
Love and blessings!
Clothesline? What's a clothesline? I can probably count on one hand the number of times Jo has hung anything out on the line. It's a dryer for her. I have hung my cycling clothes outside but they have to be in partial shade or they will break down and fade. Lycra does that. So I just hang them on an inside rack now that we have no clothesline at all. I hate open kitchen cabinets. It is hard on the head since I am quite a bit taller than Jo. :) But we all have quirks is for sure. Thanks for reminding me of the difference in all of us.
ReplyDeleteLol, Bill! Yes, clotheslines still exist, and stand in good stead with me. I never knew, though, that Lycra fabric breaks down and fades in the sun. I would never have imagined that a modern fabric would be so vulnerable.
DeleteAnd yes, God made each of us different and unique, yet we can all seek Him as His children.
Love and blessings!
I haven't hung laundry out to dry since I left home, many, many years ago. There aren't clotheslines in apartment complexes or condos and no room for one in yards these days. I do remember that smell and feel though! We are all different in so many ways yet all the same, too. God is SO good!
ReplyDeleteI think once you have smelled fresh clothes on the line, you always remember it, Terri. Actually, I do dry all our other clothes in the dryer - it is easier! And I must agree - God is so, so good!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Righly pointed out that each one has his own right way of doing things..
ReplyDeleteYes, Jerly, we are all unique and different, yet at one with the Lord.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Believe it or not, but this week I was watching my clothes drying in the sunshine (we do not have a dryer) and I thought 'why don't I write about it?' Seriously! With wind and sun it takes a little over an hour to dry, it doesn't cost anything, solar power and wind are sustainable energy resources. Anyway, how fun to see your post today and your thoughts with it. Great, thank you!
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is, Marja, great minds think alike - lol! You should go ahead and write that post; I'm sure your perspective would be much different than mine. After all, we are all unique and special in God's eyes.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I'm grinning from ear to ear! Owing to it's Southern exposure, I've been hanging my wash in our sun room -- then the next morning 'finishing' them for a few minutes in the clothes dryer. I think it sure saves electricity and doesn't heat the house unnecessarily. Now I may take Tom up on his offer to build me a clothesline!
ReplyDeleteOh, you should definitely invest in a clothesline, Myra! Especially living here in the south, we have lots of opportunities to dry clothes outside and save on electricity. I even hang things out in the dead of winter if the day is clear and sunny. There's a photo Danny took a long while back of me hanging out wash, and there's snow on the deck! I'll have to find that one . . .
DeleteLove and blessings!
This post is very enjoyable reading and confirms to me that my little foibles (as long as they don't hurt others) are perfectly okay. Like you, I like my dish towels to be where I left them, but my towels truly have a mind of their own and usually are not where I thought I had placed them when I'm in the middled of kitchen duties.
ReplyDeleteHanging laundry outdoors sn't allowed where I live, but it sure is a nice sight to see all that cleanliness wafting in the breeze!
So, we share the "where's my dishtowel" syndrome, Barbara. That's too funny! Yes, I hear you about a clothesline not being allowed in your community. HOAs have both their good aspects and not-so-good. I just love the smell of those crisp sheets fresh off the line.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, I had to smile while reading through this article. :-) I have so many "right ways" to do things, it's laughable...except to my family. I'm much like you in closing cabinets and I even rehang the bathroom towels at the sink when they are placed all messy by someone else! So this is a great analogy about the wide highway that leads to destruction and the narrow way that leads to life!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you could identify with the post here today, Karen. Yes, we all have a myriad of "right ways" in our day to day lives. As long as we remember not to assume everyone ought to think/do like we, we can be given a pass for our quirks. May we all travel the best journey on the narrow way that leads to life.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, This post brought back a special but forgotten memory of my Nana hanging her sheets to dry on the line. If I helped her, I had better do it right! All smiles aside, this post is timely in our current times. Because God created each of us unique, we have quirks, and preferences that might be different from someone else.
ReplyDeleteI join you, sweet friend for those who don't know the saving grace of Jesus. May we represent Him well to those around us.
Blessings!
Oh, Beckie, I'm so, so glad this post brought back sweet and tender memories to you regarding your Nana. That's what I called my grandmother, too, and my Mom is Nana to her grands and great-grands. And yes, let us never cease to pray for those who are traversing a dangerous road because they have rejected the love Jesus offers. We need to be examples continually of His grace and forgiveness.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, if everyone would share your wisdom, there would be far less hatred in the world. Everyone does not have to agree with me on all things. I can bless and love those who disagree with me as well as those who share my views.
ReplyDeleteLoved this post, friend!
I'm so glad you loved this post, Laurie! I have to admit that, when I wrote it, I wasn't sure if the point I was trying to make would be clear, but judging from your comment, and the comments of others, God guided me in the needed direction. Let us continue to pray that hatred would be abated in this world because we choose to love.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Love this!! Oh we sure do have our ways don't we? Some are well worn and good to keep and some have past their time. Thanks for this wisdom today
ReplyDeleteYes, Jean, we all have our rituals and ways of doing things, some of which may seem alien to others. Yet, that's the opportunity we could take to understand others better, to be less judgmental and more loving. Glad you enjoyed the post!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, we all have our quirks about how things should be done--this is good until it's our way or no way. Diversity is a great thing: just look at all God created.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this beautiful post!
Love and blessings!
Definitely, Kim! It can never be our way or the highway when it comes to having healthy relationships with others. Sadly, I feel the concept of diversity, in all its rich forms, is being exploited by those who would rather divide us than unite us. Glad you enjoyed the post!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Just as long as we move like a graceful swan in love and kindness in our lives, we will never fail in representing our beloved Savior!
ReplyDeleteAmen, Ed! May we move with God's grace.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I guess that is one thing that makes the body of Christ so special - we are all different and have our own package to bring to the table. We draw from each other's strengths and weaknesses, and yes, even our individual quirks. It all works together to make things quite interesting!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how it all works together in the body of Christ, Cheryl. We have so much to offer one another in order to build each other up.
DeleteLove and blessings!
nice article guys :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Azka!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Oh my, I have that same quirk of wanting all cabinets and drawers to be closed. My husband has begun a quirk of NOT closing them over the past couple of years. I can tell when he gets things out because the doors are left open. But as he is becoming more aware of it, he's beginning to close things again. Whew. :) If that's his worst habit, I am a blessed wife! And I am.
ReplyDeleteGood reminders, Martha, to not foist our habits onto others. May God keep us all faithful to him alone.
I'll have to agree with you, Lisa, that if that's your husband's worst habit, then you are one lucky woman! Danny has gotten better about closing drawers, cabinets, etc., but he's a lovable work in progress. :) And truly, may God keep us faithful to Him in all things.
DeleteLove and blessings!
OF COURSE, there is a right way to do things! I am right there with you! BUT, I have learned to "Pick my battles" with age. I have also learned when someone serves me to keep my opinions to myself and be blessed and allow them to be blessed.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, My Friend
PS--Not on the computer much these days--that's another story for another day.
A sure sign of wisdom as we age, Loralu, is to know when to pick our battles. Not everything needs to escalate or become another obstacle to separate us from one another. And please know how much I've missed your blogs!!! Hope you will be back at it soon, my friend.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Oh, I totally have quirks! The funny thing is that I often don't even realize them until someone points them out to me. Then I realize that, gee, I do have my own odd ways of doing things. It is so true that we mustn't push our little preferences or quirks onto others and push them away from our ideals of perfection or the "right way" of doing something, especially something as trivial as chores or household tasks. My motto is it's fine as long as it gets done...who cares how the sheets are folded or how the dishwasher is loaded.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, this most definitely applies to the Christian life. We must simply live by example, loving and showing grace in abundance and quietly "being" Christ to those around us.
Thank you for inviting me to your blog, dear Martha! It is a delightful place and I shall look forward to returning here again. ♥
Love and blessings to you!
I'm so glad to have you here, Elizabeth! Yes, our quirks belong to us, and us alone. We should never expect others to feel the same way. This does apply to our Christian lives as we should not preach Christ, but be Christ to others.
DeleteLove and blessings!
What a wonderful relief it is to know that someone else has their "right" ways also. I love the smell of air-dried laundry, but living on a dusty ranch in Texas, I prepared to install the large clothesline in the backyard, but when a gust of wind blew a dust-nado into my face, I realized that between the high pollen counts from all the hay, and the fact that I would constantly have to re-wash dirty laundry, I opted for the more convenient drier route. LOL Still, we each have our quirks. You're right though Ms. Martha. We have to just keep leading them, praying that God will help them drink in His time.
ReplyDeleteOh, I hear you, J.D., about the impracticality of drying anything outdoors with all that dust, etc. Nigh impossible! And we do have our funny habits and quirks, but they are what make us unique. Let us keep praying for those who haven't come to know the Lord.
DeleteLove and blessings!