Soak Me in Your Laundry by Marcie Gribbin

God, make a fresh start in me,

 

The dirty laundry is piled high, the basketful of mismatched socks is overflowing, and no matter how much laundry is in the wash, there is enough clothing left on the kids’ bedroom floor to dress an army of children. Come on. Y’all know what I’m talking about.

 

Life is messy. Parenting can be messy, overwhelming— sometimes joyful, sometimes heartbreaking, and sometimes as mundane as watching the dryer spin the towels around. But sometimes, while we’re busy molding young ones into capable adults, and trying to balance all the responsibilities of a good mama, the dirty laundry that piles up in our hearts waiting to be washed anew, can grow higher than the unfolded mess on the living room floor waiting to be neatly tucked into drawers to be worn another day.

 

The problem is, our children are watching our heart’s laundry pile up. They are wide-eyed and keener than we give them credit for. They know our stains, our sins, and they learn to respond to the mess of life the same way we do. Or, they learn to adapt to our vices and accept them as part of who we are, even if they see those stains clearly for what they are: sin.

 

Are you a yeller? A grudge-holder? A control freak? A negative-Nellie? Someone who drowns sorrows in food or drink? Someone who uses media and entertainment to numb yourself from reality? A gossiper? A masked-in-prayer-requests gossiper? Judgmental? A non-forgiver?

 

Okay, really, you are none of those things. You are a beloved child of God. But, you may be struggling with doing one or more of those things. Like me.

 

We all have vices. We all have defenses, and habits, and, just plain old dirty, smelly, stained up stuff piling up in our hearts. I promise you, if you can’t see it, your children can. Our children are watching, waiting for us to clean it up, and to show them how to clean it up, too.

 

Oh, I love the above passage from Psalm 51:7-15. The Message translation of this passage makes me smile, and makes me want to dump out the dirty laundry in my heart and let the Lord soak it and scrub it squeaky clean. What an incredible, awe-inspiring image! The Lord can shape a Genesis week out of the chaos in our hearts! Just think about that statement. A Genesis week! The God who clothed the heavens in garments of sparkling, glittery stars, who blanketed the sky with a blue-and-white canopy, who made animals of every amazing shape and size… The God who breathed life into humankind, is the same God who cares about the dirty laundry in our hearts. He longs for us to ask Him to wash us clean. To be honest about what needs soaked in His grace. He knows our children are watching. Today, before you throw another load in the wash. Before you fold another towel, or pick up another rolled-up ball of jeans from the bathroom floor, take some time to let the Lord soak you in His laundry. Give Him the stained up attitudes, behaviors, and vices that keep us from being the best mama we can be. Take time to let your lips be unbuttoned, to let loose your praise of Him. And let your children see it, and know that they can do the same.