We ate; we got dressed. The chaos of laundry ensued.
Recently, a young family in our community of faith had one of their children hospitalized for routine surgery. He had unexpected complications and an overnight stay became more like a week of mom at the hospital and dad at home, together balancing the other children, full-time employment and school.
In the South, church people help with food. That is just standard, and it is always welcome with open arms.
Several of us went to clean their house as an additional gift and realized they had been waiting on their washer to be repaired. Cumulative laundry for five over a number of days, now without time for the bandaid trips to the laundromat to get by.
My friend called while we were cleaning and asked what she could do. I mentioned the washer, the mountains of laundry, and what I'm sure mom and dad saw as overwhelming chaos:
I'll be there in 20 minutes with garbage bags. Gather it up for me. Where do they live?In her single washer and dryer, through hours of washing and folding, my friend gave an extraordinary gift.
She gave order through time and love. Food and money could not have been more pivotal in helping this family regain their footing.
Inspired, I helped another family of five. They were without a dryer, and when a few other calamities befell them, there was no time or energy to wash and hang. I took my garbage bags, ignoring mom's protests that no one had ever done her laundry, and tried to pay forward my friend's gift.
We forget that, when the unexpected strikes, the curse continues. We dirty up clothing that piles up throughout the house, creating hiding places for the stress that the enemies of God love to stir. The pressure swirls around in our minds as we cope with everything else.
Remember the gift of keeping the curse (of laundry) at bay. It is Jesus in action.
Comments are welcome at feedyourstrength@gmail.com.
