For the Love of Laundry

Those of you who know me probably also know that I hate laundry.  Oh odious laundry!  How I scorn thee!  I loathe and resent the very mention of your name.  The task is a repugnant grievance to me.  I detest the thought of washing, drying, folding and putting away all those clothes.

See?  I despise it so much that I looked up synonyms on the internet to help me explore my feelings on the subject.

I really can't think of a household task that I dislike more than doing laundry.  Everything else is irritating, sure.  But laundry is and always has been, a thorn in my side.

With all this unpleasant history between laundry and me, I was a bit shocked yesterday when, as I folded and put away a load of clean laundry, I found myself actually enjoying the task.

Well, maybe enjoying the task is a bit of a stretch.  But I was enjoying the quiet of the moment.  Violet was napping, Lucy was playing quietly on my bedroom floor.  And I was putting shirts on hangers, folding pants, and matching socks in the midst of an unusual gentle calm in my house. 

I don't know when this happened; when a previously detestable task became a small haven for me.  But today I read a devotional and this quote popped out at me: "Rest is the fitting of self to its sphere." (John S. Dwight) 

Really?  That's what rest is?  A year ago I don't think I would have agreed.  A year ago I would have said rest is the fitting of self to a desirable sphere, one I've picked out and determined good enough for "resting".

But how many times have I been in a beautiful, wonderful place that by all means should have been a place of comfort and rest to me, and yet my heart was discontent, troubled or irritated?

Have you ever heard the sentiment, contentment is loving what you have?  It's the same principle, but in regards to where you're at.  Contentment--rest--is loving where you're at, loving what you're doing, loving who you're with, regardless of where you are, what you're doing or who you're with. Contentment--rest--is fitting your self to the sphere you find yourself in at the moment. 

This is my sphere.  God has given me work to do.  To stay at home, watchfully train and guide my children, keep my house (notice I didn't say keep my house CLEAN, because I've found that to be impossible), and yes, do the laundry.  These duties are not glamorous.  They're not always fun.  In fact, I'd venture a guess that 7 times out of 10 I find what I have to do on any given day less than favorable.  But the truth is, God has given me a way to find rest in them.  When I do them for Him, to His glory, and for the love of being obedient to Him, these sometimes odious duties transform into precious resting places. 

<<Go in all simplicity; do not be anxious to win a quiet mind, and it will be all the quieter. Do not examine so closely into the progress of your soul. Do not crave so much to be perfect, but let your spiritual life be formed by your duties, and by the actions which are called forth by circumstances. Do not take overmuch thought for tomorrow.  God, who has led you safely on so far, will lead you on to the end. Be altogether at rest in the loving holy confidence which you ought to have in His heavenly Providence. -St. Francis de Sale (emphasis mine)>>