This Too Shall Pass

The bible tells us that for everything there is a season. Theoretically that means that whatever we are going through will pass away eventually, right? What I want to know is, when does the never-ending pile of laundry pass away? It may sound stupid, but my biggest daily stressor is the mountain of dirty clothes that compete with Mt. McKinley for the highest peak in North America.

Seriously, not a day goes by that I don't wash or fold a basket of clothes, and if I do miss a day or two, I have to pay for it later. Right now I am behind on laundry because of our Memorial Day camping trip: my washer and dryer are full and all of my baskets and hampers are full. Every time I look at the huge mounds of polyester and cotton it makes me long for the good 'ole days when people only had two outfits each, one for everyday and one for church. When did it become so important to wear a different outfit every day of the week anyway?

Doing laundry may not make the top ten list of most stressful life events, but it sure does make the list for longevity. Any mother can attest that the laundry trial begins with the birth of her first child. Between spit-up and diaper explosions both baby and mama are likely to require several outfit changes each day. And God forbid if you're crazy enough to use cloth diapers.

As our families grow, the laundry multiplies faster than a family of rabbits. In addition, as the little people grow into big people, surprise! their clothes get bigger too, resulting in even more loads of laundry. Not only is laundry a daily chore that grows exponentially over the years, it is a chore that never seems to end. I have been washing and folding little clothes for nine years, and I am not even halfway to being done. That's at least 25 years of doing laundry every day! Aargh!

Now obviously doing laundry is not the biggest tragedy of our lives. We each have more serious trials to go through, and while thankfully some of them only last a short time, there are always going to be tragedies that affect us over the long haul. It could be a chronic illness or the loss of a loved one. Whatever it is that we are dealing with, it is hard to remain hopeful in the face of adversity that seems like it will never end. Some of us have proven that we can hang on for a few days or weeks, but how many of us will have the perserverance to trust in God through a trial that lasts many years, possibly even our whole lives?

Whenever we feel ourselves slipping it is important that we turn to the truth of God's word for strength. God's word tells us that to everything there is a season. Yes, that means these trials will eventually be over. Some of us won't get relief from our burdens as long as we are in this world, but we can rejoice in the fact that Christ has overcome the world, and someday there will be a new heaven and a new earth. I try to rejoice in the fact that someday I will trade in this broken down heap of my body for a sleek new model. Is it too much to ask for the Lexus model? Also...there is no laundry in heaven, right?