Don't close your eyes

I did several loads of laundry yesterday, rejoicing in almost empty bins. I patted myself on the back and moved along with my day.

Later in the afternoon, I "reminded" (some might say admonished) my children to tend to their chores and I left to run a quick errand. While driving, I heard This is Your Life by Switchfoot. I sang along, enjoying the tune and the down time.

When I returned home, I found the laundry room looking like this:

I admit to an internal groan :) Then I remembered the line from the song I'd heard - "Don't close your eyes.....this is your life." Laundry's just another part of what makes this Domestic Church tick and, I reminded myself, it could be worse. Washing clothes could require hauling them to the river and beating them against the rocks. That would be my mother's theory resounding in my head!  Additionally, the laundry room looked like this because a child DID THEIR CHORES JOYFULLY! That's a reason to celebrate.

Another line of that song kept playing through my head, as well. "Are you who you want to be?" That's a heavy question, in my opinion. Are you happy where you are? Do you wish for more of something? Do you feel the loss of something? All good questions to ask ourselves as we navigate this life of family, faith, and - apparently - laundry.