"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men."
Ephesians 6:7
Another common question...
I realize that laundry doesn't seem like the most spiritual thing to write about
and has nothing to do with adoption in the general sense, but for me, in a way it is and does.
I realize that laundry doesn't seem like the most spiritual thing to write about
and has nothing to do with adoption in the general sense, but for me, in a way it is and does.
Perspective is powerful.
When I fold my loved ones' laundry and I pray for them individually as I do, the Lord knits my heart to their current needs and/or triumphs and fills me with His compassion for them. When I daydream about children who don't have stacks of clean laundry to put away in their room as of yet, and I consider how lovingly I will fold their jammies once they are mine, I thank God for giving them a mommy. I thank Him for choosing me.
Mommies are a special part of the treasury of childhood innocence. We kiss and cook and hug and read and wipe and teach and fold and love with a special mommy-kind-of-love. With profound influence for future generations,
do we realize just how much we've been entrusted with?
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
Galatians 6:9
Having lost my mom prematurely, I'm sometimes hyper-aware of the good we mommies stand to invest in our little ones' lives.
Even something as mundane as laundry can be viewed as a privilege if we allow it to be.
Even something as mundane as laundry can be viewed as a privilege if we allow it to be.
As our family size has grown, it seems I'm asked more often about how I approach the laundry situation in our home. The funny thing is that I honestly don't really feel like there is a "laundry situation" primarily because I make a choice to "put it over there"...meaning...I make sure we all have enough clothing to last about 2 weeks or more, then I forget about the laundry all together. The kids have learned how to put away clothes that are still clean after wearing them, the hampers are large enough that they are (rarely) overflowing,
and for 2 weeks or so I don't think about laundry.
and for 2 weeks or so I don't think about laundry.
Then comes the BIG day. (That's about 24 times/year if you're doing the math.) I'll spend the whole day at home (usually in my pjs) washing and drying and folding and praying, stacking in designated rows. The kids do the sorting and putting away and we all work hard to have kind hearts as we serve. It's a group effort, but most of it's mine, and really I've found that by doing it this way, I'm not constantly bearing the weight of the loads, so to speak. The laundry is just "over there" and this has worked well for us so far.
"She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
her arms are strong for her tasks.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
Proverbs 31:17, 27, 30
So there you have the laundry question answer.
Just like anything else, it's not as important what we do,
but how we do it, knowing God looks at the heart.
Just like anything else, it's not as important what we do,
but how we do it, knowing God looks at the heart.
"For the LORD sees not as man sees:
man looks on the outward appearance,
but the LORD looks on the heart.”
man looks on the outward appearance,
but the LORD looks on the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7
"I will walk with integrity of heart within my house."
Psalm 101:2
Whatever laundry strategy works for each of us, may we mommies (and daddies) all remember with intentionality that our work is done unto the Lord. We are serving Him in all that we pour out for our families and He sees our every chore.
He carries us in our weakness and fills us with His joy. We are never, ever alone.
He carries us in our weakness and fills us with His joy. We are never, ever alone.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
I hope and pray that any mommies reading this who find yourselves weary (or even just behind on the laundry) will fall into the arms of Jesus as you serve your loved ones in His name. May the loads of tasks we mommies do be done for the Lord, in service to Him. And may we love Him more as we love our families with His love, even in daily chores as seemingly trivial as laundry.
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
1 Corinthians 10:31
...a great song to sing while doing things like laundry :)
