I beamed with satisfaction as I folded the last pair of socks. Feeling a renewed sense of vigor, I decided to get a head start on tomorrow’s laundry.
I turned to my daughter, who was sitting in the chair reading, and asked, “Would you mind grabbing the clothes from your hamper, as well as your brother’s and sister’s?”
My eager beaver raced from the room. A second later, she was back, pushing a bulging hamper with all her might. My eyes widened with shock.
“Wow. Thanks! I—” I began.
“Hang on! I’ll be right back with the rest!” she called, racing off again.
“The rest?!”
How could there possibly be more?
I gazed open-mouthed on the new mound of clothing. With three kids in the house, I sometimes wonder if the laundry has babies of its own.
Ah, Laundry—the chore that never ends.
Whether it’s Christmas time or laundry time, the demands of life provide abundant source material for complaining.
“Do I have to buy a present for Uncle Herbie?”
“Ugh. Why do they put up decorations before Halloween??”
“I still haven’t finished my Christmas cards and I only have 17 more days!”
“Why do these charities keep pestering me for money when I hardly have enough to buy our gifts?!”
“More cookies?!”
“Look out… Aunt Mildred made her eggnog again…”
The question is, will we choose to spend our lives complaining about everything, or will we change our outlook?
Let’s go back to laundry. I could easily crack a hundred complaints—disguised as jokes—to bear up under my clothing load, but I would gain far more benefit if I chose to wear gratitude, rather than grumbling, as the prized garment of my heart.
Here is what I should remember as I look at my laundry pile:
I have a family.
There are children who would love to have parents. There are adults who long to have children. There are parents who miss their grown children and would happily wash their dirty socks again, just to have them around. Single people long to be married and widows miss their spouse. My laundry pile stands as a tangible reminder that I have people in my life at this moment to love and care for. Instead of grumbling about the chore, I should give thanks today for the blessing of having my spouse and children with me.
Elihu's Corner 
Amen! I loved this, well done. Remember to be grateful for hot running water and grateful for having a washing machine and dryer! A few times over the years the washing machine has gone out and one thing worse than mountains of laundry,is mountains of laundry and no way to wash it.
I really liked that, “I have a family,” too. Yep, that is why my car is often trashed and there is stuff in the middle of our floor. These things all make me crazy, but in truth they are just evidence that we have a lot of people to love in our lives. That’s a good thing.
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Yes–“one thing worse than mountains of laundry,is mountains of laundry and no way to wash it.” I agree, a hundred times! Our washing machine went out a few years ago and I felt exactly the same way.
And yes, I agree with what you said about family. I am a bit of a perfectionist (though you wouldn’t know it to look at my house) and I’ve gotten frustrated over little things like that to the detriment of valuable time with my family. Like you, I need to see them for what they signify.
I always love your comments, IB! Thank you for stopping by and encouraging me today. God be with you!
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The simple things of life are things that we complain about. To someone else they are precious. Me? I won’t complain. I’m glad you realize that you are blessed because you have the most precious thing in the whole world. A family. I have a family, but they live in different parts of the United States. My sons live in different parts of the United States. They do not call me. They wanted me to join Facebook. I did. They don’t talk to me on Facebook. I miss them. They live their lives, and I live mine in a nursing home in North Carolina. My younger son lives 8 hours away from me, and he never calls me. Yet I am alone. I am not going to complain because I have the Lord on my side, and I belong to a caring and loving church. The nursing home where I stay takes care of me. I connect daily with bloggers sharing my thoughts, comments, etc. Life is good for me because I have more positives than negatives. You see I won’t complain.
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Pam, I’m so sorry that you are not able to be with your family. That is so challenging! It’s crazy how much more easily we can stay connected with people we love and yet we often feel so much more disconnected. It is so disappointing, even when you are close to family, and they don’t make time for you. I’m glad you have a loving church family and I pray they will continue to strengthen you and comfort you. May the Lord fill you with the peace of His presence today and always.
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What a reminder, thank you.
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Thanks, Wally! I tend to forget this a lot. I have a hamper full of laundry to fold, a load in the dryer, and one more in the washer… I think I should put these reminders in each spot so I don’t get tempted to complain. 😉
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Beautifully said! Excellent reminders!!!
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Thanks, Dawn! How are you?
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OH MY! I’ve been crocheting like crazy some animal toys from a new kids’ show, Puffin Rock, getting ready for her coming here at Christmas! I have hardly been on WordPress for DAZE!!! Merry Christmas to you!
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Sobering and perspective adjusting message!
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That was terrific Elihu!
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Thanks, Lee! God be with you.
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