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| Laundry. 9 piles long, 3 piles deep, and more in the washer and dryer. |
A picture speaks a thousand words, so I’m starting this lesson with the picture above—please observe. This. Is. A lot. Of laundry. At least, it’s a lot for me! With four kids now (one who plays hard at recess, one who attracts all the mud from our long country driveway, one who has diaper blow outs, and one who drools chronically), I have entered a whole new realm of laundry. Multiply that by a few days of not doing laundry, and you get the above picture.
At first, folding this much laundry was like conducting a scientific experiment. “How much dirty laundry can I find throughout the far corners of our house?” But after the novelty wore off, fascination was replaced with my own pity party. And as the piles grew, so did my pity party.
“I did post-graduate work in seminary for this?? What a waste.”
“I should be out there, ministering to the multitudes! Not in here muttering to piles of laundry.” I pictured Jesus preaching the sermon on the mount. “I want to be more like Jesus.” Sigh.
Then another picture came to mind. Jesus—God incarnate, the Great I AM—washing the feet of his disciples. Washing Peter’s feet who denied him, washing Judas’ feet who betrayed him. And it was in NO WAY a waste of His time.
In that simple, humble act, He demonstrated what it means to be a servant, and what it means to truly minister. Humbling stuff. I am in no way “too good for this”. I am in no way wasting my time or ministry. But through serving my children, I will better understand how Christ served us, sacrificed for us, and modeled how leadership and ministry should be done. My new prayer while folding, cleaning (or washing little feet!) is that I will be a better leader and minister “out there”, because I also served here.
“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,
you also should wash one another’s feet.
I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
~ John 13:13-15 ~
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