Yes, I am thankful for dirty dishes! However, this is not the only thing I am thankful for. I can add dirty laundry, unfolded blankets scattered all over the living room, unmade beds in the morning and water on the floor of the bathroom because someone did not close the shower curtain all the way. These are all special things I am thankful for.
I am thankful for dirty dishes because it means that my family (my mom, dad, sister and I) have all had something to eat. Dirty dishes are a blessing. When Momma says to finish eating everything on your plate, 1. Do as Momma says and 2. Know that she means well. When my sister and I were younger, our mother always made sure we knew to thank God for our food and to be thankful for the meal in front of us, since there are so many families who have to go without.
From our living room, you can see directly into the kitchen. Every action that is going on, you can sit in the other room and observe. There are many times, especially in the evenings, when everyone is winding down, you can hear the dishwasher going. More often than not, I catch myself just listening to the sounds the dishwasher produces. Over the chatter in other rooms, over the volume of the TV programs, the dishwasher carries its quiet hum throughout our home. It reminds me that Jesus Christ is constant in our lives. We may have hectic schedules and unplanned events come up, but amidst it all our Savior is constant.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” — Hebrews 13:8
I am blessed to have dirty laundry! To me, it serves as a reminder to be thankful for the clothes that we have. Now I must confess. I would say at least once a week the phrase, “I have nothing to wear,” comes from my mouth (when in fact my closet and dresser are full of clothes). I have perfectly good clothes to choose from, but it seems my excuse is “I wear that too much.” I must remind myself that there are many people who just want a clean shirt. Our society tells us that we need more and more. We need this new fashion bag or this new dress. Too often I believe we get caught up in “looking good” in society’s eyes rather than our Heavenly Father's.
The scripture 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
The sight of seeing blankets unfolded on the couches in the living room fills my heart with joy and a slight amount of irritability. I am a person who likes things put up nice and neat. Everything is where it is supposed to be, and the house must look presentable to visitors. Although I may quickly go and fold the blankets and put them in the baskets, I think about all the memories our blankets have on them. All the conversations held, movies watched and forts built with these blankets. Blankets provide warmth and a napkin when our hot chocolate spills in the winter. My favorite thing a blanket provides is comfort. Comfort from the cold or simply something to cuddle with when I am sick. I think of Christ as my comforter. He soothes my angry heart, He makes me laugh when I am sad and His presence is so peaceful; sometimes I just sit in awe of His presence.
2 Corinthians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.”
So now I would like to ask you: What are you thankful for? I agree family, friends and so on belong high on the list; however, I want to challenge you to think about the little things in your life. What are the little things in your life that may be overlooked (like the dishwasher running or those three piles of laundry that need to get washed)? What are you thankful for?
