Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.
Scrub away my guilt,
soak out my sins in your laundry.
I know how bad I've been;
my sins are staring me down. (Psalm 51:1-3)
I can remember when I was little, going into the basement with my mom and watching her do laundry. She had the old wringer type of washing machine. I remember how red her hands were from the hot water, sweat on her face and the dirty clothes.
There were the old cloth diapers.
Even though she would soak them in the diaper pail, they were still in need of washing. She had to reach into that nasty, dirty, water and pull them out one by one. Wringing them out and putting them into the washer. They were stained yellow and brown from the messes that my sisters made in them.
Ugly and smelly.
After they went through the wash cycle, she would then have to reach in and take them out one by one. Putting them through the wringer to extract as much water from them as possible so they would dry quicker on the line. This was before they had a dryer and no matter the weather, they had to be hung out to dry. Sometimes in the winter they would freeze and she would bring them in to hang on chairs, a line strung up between doorways, to thaw out.
And almost every time after washing, wringing, and drying - they came out white as snow.
Today, I enjoy doing laundry. When Adam was little, we used the cloth diapers. I had the modern day washer/dryer set. I still did and do use my clothes lines whenever the weather permits. There is something in me that enjoys the taking of a dirty garment, getting it clean, hanging it on the line, smelling that wonderful outdoors scent as I take it down and fold it, putting it away for the next time.
I know that when God is "doing my dirty laundry" - it isn't something He delights in. I know that He had to give me the blood of His only Son to wipe away the stains and dirt that cover me from my sins. I see my mom's chapped, red hands and know that Christ became bruised and bloody as He was the cleansing power of my "dirty laundry".
I also know without a doubt that God enjoys taking me in and drawing in the sweet, clean smell I offer up to Him. I know without a doubt that His hands tenderly fold me into being the garment I need to be for Him. I know without a doubt that He is readying me for "the next time" when He needs me to be used for Him.
I know without a doubt that I have been "washed whiter than snow".
soak out my sins in your laundry.
I know how bad I've been;
my sins are staring me down. (Psalm 51:1-3)
I can remember when I was little, going into the basement with my mom and watching her do laundry. She had the old wringer type of washing machine. I remember how red her hands were from the hot water, sweat on her face and the dirty clothes.
There were the old cloth diapers.
Even though she would soak them in the diaper pail, they were still in need of washing. She had to reach into that nasty, dirty, water and pull them out one by one. Wringing them out and putting them into the washer. They were stained yellow and brown from the messes that my sisters made in them.
Ugly and smelly.
After they went through the wash cycle, she would then have to reach in and take them out one by one. Putting them through the wringer to extract as much water from them as possible so they would dry quicker on the line. This was before they had a dryer and no matter the weather, they had to be hung out to dry. Sometimes in the winter they would freeze and she would bring them in to hang on chairs, a line strung up between doorways, to thaw out.
And almost every time after washing, wringing, and drying - they came out white as snow.
Today, I enjoy doing laundry. When Adam was little, we used the cloth diapers. I had the modern day washer/dryer set. I still did and do use my clothes lines whenever the weather permits. There is something in me that enjoys the taking of a dirty garment, getting it clean, hanging it on the line, smelling that wonderful outdoors scent as I take it down and fold it, putting it away for the next time.
I know that when God is "doing my dirty laundry" - it isn't something He delights in. I know that He had to give me the blood of His only Son to wipe away the stains and dirt that cover me from my sins. I see my mom's chapped, red hands and know that Christ became bruised and bloody as He was the cleansing power of my "dirty laundry".
I also know without a doubt that God enjoys taking me in and drawing in the sweet, clean smell I offer up to Him. I know without a doubt that His hands tenderly fold me into being the garment I need to be for Him. I know without a doubt that He is readying me for "the next time" when He needs me to be used for Him.
I know without a doubt that I have been "washed whiter than snow".
2 comments:
I do remember how wringer washer and put rubber diapers through that wringer diapers and explodes and I ruined a couple of shirts
Did you ever get anything caught in a wringer?or ruined a couple of shirts?
Tell me the stories of you have,
the clothes you have washed with wringer washer.
thankfully, they were able to afford an updated washer before I had to use it! I remember being afraid mom would catch her fingers though!
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