Laundry

About 2 years ago, a young woman named Christy told me, “I think you could write about laundry and it would be good.” I think this was the equivalent of the American idol’s expression- “You could sing the phone book”. So I took it as high praise and have wondered for 2 years what would I write about laundry…

I do a lot of laundry. I sometimes feel I do more than most; but I probably don’t. But this morning as I was washing the second load, I noticed that my dryer was still running after an hour. I opened the door and it stopped, but my clothes weren’t dry. Being the optimist that I am, I started it again and went to do one of my other jobs for the day: toilets. Maybe I’ll write about them another day. After sufficient time had come I went to check and again my dryer seemed to be stuck on ‘cool down’. It was no longer turning itself off. And the clothes while almost dry, were still damp so, what’s a girl to do? Try, try again. I started the dryer for the 3rd time and this time went to straighten my bedroom and rehang the curtain that had been taken down during the repainting. So finally when I went down again, while the dryer was still running, the clothes were okay to take out.

When I put in the next load I decide to check out what happened about 10 minutes in. Normally the dryer puts off some heat. Not a lot, but enough that I can tell it’s working. Today- no heat, it was turning inside but the outside stayed cold. Actually it’s been in somewhat of a steady decline for several months. I am used to having to run my clothes a couple of times, so it did not alarm me when I had to restart the first time. It was the 3rd time that got my attention. So I ask you- what do you do with a dryer without heat? I don’t recall ever using the fluff option on my dryer (the option with no heat). I always wonder what people would use that option for. Obviously some people do or it would not be on there. But me, I want a quick dry. I’m not that particular about the effects on my clothes. I’m a wash and wear kind of girl. So without heat I think my dryer is basically useless. It can continue to run on and on, but it is not really going to accomplish what I need it to accomplish in the time frame I have for it to accomplish it.

So what’s this got to do with life? Other than planned obsolescence, my story of fixing a dryer when we were first married, and the normal frustrations of life… I think I sometimes get stuck on cool down. I keep going and going. I somehow don’t recognize the off button. So while I’m going and going, I may not be hurting anything, but it’s also a waste because I’m not really accomplishing anything either.

If I don’t have the ‘heat’ (maybe passion, strong desire, excitement) is what I’m doing really making a difference? Am I making any changes or just flipping around in the same circle over and over? Having heat can make the difference between finishing or just moving. Heat can make the difference in our energy, time and commitment.

In this situation I was actually pretty lucky that the heat was missing since the machine didn’t stop. The continued heat without stop could have resulted in fire or damage. I think people in particular need the off button. We need down time to rest, to refocus, and to evaluate what needs to be done. We need to reconnect with our maker to find that source of heat. Do you notice when you’ve had some time to think through, pray and get direction, you feel a certain excitement or passion in your follow through? And how much difference does that passion make? Yet at the same time if the heat is misdirected it can be dangerous. We’ve all seen people ‘burn out’.

So perhaps that dryer cycle is indicative of what our own lives might reflect. We need some off time to rest, to refocus, and to seek our source of energy and heat. We need to be hot while we are pursuing those things that matter, so that we accomplish what needs to be done. And a little cool down time is great for recreation, for connecting with each other, and for enjoying what has been accomplished.

God- Help me to use my time wisely. To be passionate and energetic where you desire me to be, to be trusting as I rest in you, and to be appreciative of the blessings of both.