When I put Cade’s jeans into the washer, I noticed something. There was a unique c-shaped hole in the knee. It caught my eye because it was the same c-shaped hole that I had noticed yesterday.
Could I have just washed these jeans yesterday? I called him in, to investigate. “No,” he admitted. He hadn’t worn the jeans in the past 24 hours. But how did they get in the dirties again so soon?
“Oh,” he shrugged. “Well those jeans have a hole, and I don’t like them.”
“So you threw them in the dirties?” I asked incredulously.
Those next few moments in our laundry room unlocked a mystery which has baffled me for months. I could never understand why Cade’s stack of jeans on the laundry room counter is always the highest, and why his closet is always empty. Why does he always seem to be wearing the same, dirty smelly jeans? And why am I always in the laundry room folding his jeans?
The answer: There are five pairs of jeans that he never wears. He just throws them down the laundry chute. They are either too tight or too long or the wrong style or they have a hole. So he just scoops them off the shelf in his closet and throws them down the chute.
And like a hamster, spinning on her wheel, I take the jeans out of the chute, wash and dry them, fold them, and put them back. So the cycle can begin again!
But here’s the part that astounded me: My nine-year-old never once considered what happens to the jeans after he throws them down the chute. He had no idea that he was creating more (needless!) work for the washer, the dryer, and me. He was just clearing them out of his space–as if the stupid jeans kept coming back on their own, just to annoy him and clutter his closet.
As one of God’s children, I have a closet heaped up with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience that I’m supposed to ‘put on’. The Lord tells me to ‘put on’ love, which pulls the whole outfit together. (Colossians 3:12-14).
The price of these clean, beautiful clothes, which my Father bought for me, was Jesus’ life. What disregard I have for my Lord when I hastily scoop them up and shove them down the chute! When I prefer to pull on my comfy, worn out selfishness, pride, and hate–the same clothes I wore yesterday, and the day before.
My clothes say something about me, but they also say something about my Father. What will I put on today?
Shannon, this made me giggle. Too cute. Love your connection to our sinful nature…you have such a gift for writing! I love your blog ; )
Thanks, Sheila. Boy, I wish I could have thought it was cute at the time… 🙂