Ya know, life is like a coin-operated dryer...
I hate doing laundry. After over three months of college, I still haven't been able to figure out just how long those dryers take to finish. So yesterday, as with every week, I found myself staring at the grumbling dryer, hoping that my persistent gaze would make it go faster. Dryers have this mesmerizing quality to them. Their thick yellowish plastic portholes seem to fuzz and disappear as I watch my clothes tumbling away in a frenzied pace to get to wherever they think they're going. Socks, underwear, shirts, towels...they all twist together in this strange clockwise dance. If I stare long enough, even the colors blend into a swirling mix of movement. I think I need to stop letting my mind wander on occasions such as these. I find that often it comes back with strange new ideas. Watching my laundry yesterday, I started reflecting on life. And by the time my clothes had finally finished tumbling, I was of the opinion that life is a lot like those coin-operated dryers.
Our lives are filled with memories and experiences, just as the dryer is full of clothes. Some of these memories are like the smelly gym socks you threw in; others are delicate, like intimates or a silk blouse. Some memories are old and faded, like that favorite pair of jeans; and others bring feelings of warmth, like fluffy towels or a fuzzy sweater. Some memories are unpleasant and uncomfortable, like my Fit-Well uniform or a particularly itchy wool sweater. All these feelings and thoughts and encounters are thrown into the dryer and tumbled together in a whirlwind of motion.
Life is full of these diverse experiences. I have been blessed with many wonderful "fuzzy" memories, as well as my share of "smelly socks". But God has a way of taking all those memories (even the dirty, unpleasant, and uncomfortable ones) and tumbling them all together. In the end, I am left with a bundle of warm, fresh-smelling clothes. Both the good and the bad have come out smelling wonderful, just as God uses both good and bad times in my life to renew my spirit and draw me closer to Him. So next time you're stuck at the dryer waiting for your clothes to stop spinning, take some time to let your mind wander...you never know what thoughts it will come back with!