My sister called me the other day and asked what I was doing.  My reply was, “the laundry”.    To which she responded with, “You’re always doing the laundry when I talk to you.”  “Yes” , I told her,   “Sometimes it seems like that’s all that I do.”   Since we’ve moved to the coast and because of the heat and humidity it’s not unusual for my family to change clothes several times a day, especially if they’ve been outside.   That particular day I had just finished 3 loads of laundry and had ironed 15 dress shirts and 11 pairs of pants.  Did I mention that I don’t like doing laundry?  I’ve never liked doing laundry and I use to make sure my family knew it.  Look at poor me….having to do all the work.  My martyrs’ complex was rather pathetic.  Thankfully, several years ago God worked on my heart.  Oh, I still do the laundry but my attitude has changed.  God reminded me in His Word that my service to others is service to Him.  When I serve my family in His name and with joy in my heart, my family is blessed, I am a witness to the world and God receives honor and glory.   His Word tells us in Colossians 3:17 that whatever we do in word or deed we should do in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.  That means not only our actions but also our words.  It’s hard to give thanks to God when I’m complaining about housework. 

One summer Dana and I had five foster children in our home in addition to our three children.  We had eight children under the age of eleven.  Needless to say, it was a busy time in our lives.  Since it was summer, we were home all day long.  So, we unplugged the TV, went and bought all the children bicycles and planted a garden and flower beds that summer.  The children would come in extremely hungry and dirty.   It seemed as though I fixed breakfast, cleaned up, fixed lunch, cleaned up and then it was time to start dinner.  But, as much cooking as I did it wasn’t near as bad as all the laundry.  I had never seen such dirty clothes!  I had two choices  –  I could do all this work grudgingly or I could shine with the light of Christ while doing the work, either way it still had to be done.  So, I choose to have a good attitude, smile at my family and enjoy the work.  That was the summer that I coined the phrase, “Dana, my love for you is like the laundry – IT’S NEVERENDING!”