Tangible Artifacts of God's Graces

When I was single and had no children, laundry was a torturous weekly event that stole precious moments away from time that could have been spent socializing.  I didn't mind washing and drying.  That required little effort on my part.  It was the folding.  I had to stand there and fold each article, pairing socks, and putting everything away.  To be honest, I often would pull the clean clothes out of the dryer and leave them in the laundry basket, hoping nothing wrinkled too horribly, rendering it unwearable.  If it did, I just tossed it back in with the dirty laundry.

Now I am a wife and a mother.  Everyone knows marriage and children change everything, but sometimes you would be amazed at the small areas of your life it touches.  Especially laundry.

Do I like laundry?  No.  Do I dread it often?  Yes.  Is pairing socks as close to Chinese water torture that I have ever come?  Easily.
Do I smile as I fold each piece?  Always.

As I pick up my son's favorite Cars shirt, or my daughter's precious pink dress, or my husband's Green Bay Packers pajama pants, I cannot help but recognize the joy in the constantly breeding pile of laundry.  Each piece I fold is a reminder of the awesome life gifted to me by God.  Every article of clothing tells me a story, reminds me of each person's personality that I treasure so dearly, and gives me a tangible artifact of the most important things in my life.

Next time you are folding your laundry, look at each piece.  Notice the size, style, color, and wear of each shirt.  Recognize how you are folding an item that only exists in your laundry pile because of the treasures you have in your life.

You may even smile a little.