Laundry Tales

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.  Colossians 3:23

Does this “whatever” include laundry?  Silly question, of course it does; but I tell you, sometimes, that laundry business becomes a good representation of what Peter was referring to when he wrote about the devil being like a beast seeking to devour.  I just have two sons and one husband, but boy, laundry is indeed the biggest and scariest beast in this house, and it sure seems like it wants to devour us.  Actually, it wants to devour me, since neither of the men in the house seems to notice it.  While I fret about the growing piles of dirty clothes lying on the basement floor, my “boys” go about their days unfazed by it.  They walk and play by it, and don’t even see it.  The only time they become aware of the impending need to do the wash is when they happen to pull out the last piece of clean “unmentionables.”  [I was going to say that sometimes, for certain members of my household, that isn’t even a trigger…but I changed my mind…] 

Anyway, days ago I dumped all the dirty clothes down the basement, for I believe in the old adage, “out of sight, out of mind,” but it happens that as the piles have grown bigger, they have began to creep back upstairs.  As I sit here at the computer, I can see (and smell) the assortment of today’s socks, pants and shirts that my sons, so diligently threw down the stairs.  They mockingly peek back at me from the steps where they landed.  I can almost hear them laughing at me in the dark of night, for they know they are winning this latest battle. 

I seriously have no clue how bigger households manage laundry.  It is such a formidable enemy.  I have not the strength.  I solemnly take my hat off and salute all the women and men (excluding those living in my very own household) who courageously attack the laundry beast and win.  I don’t know how you do it.  I could not imagine having to do laundry for a family of more than 4 people.  I praise God for you, since you are a source of inspiration for me.  I admire you.  I know you don’t think that the way you do your laundry business is anything worth of admiration.  Trust me, it is!  Those of us who only have two kids see you as mighty titans!  So, next time you finish folding a load of laundry, take a deep breath, inhale all that fresh scent that only laundry detergent, softener and dryer sheets can produce (hopefully there’s not much lint floating around in the air, so you don’t have to inhale that too) and say to yourself, well done, good and faithful servant!