Is Your Laundry Basket Half Full or Half Empty?

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:3 (the first of the Beatitudes)

Noah’s laundry basket philosophy is a mystery to me. The other morning, we had this exchange:

“Mom, I need some clean shorts. Will you do my laundry today?”

I looked at him incredulously. “Noah, it’s Monday. We did your laundry this weekend. There is no way you have worn all those clothes.”

“Apparently I did because I don’t have any, except what I’m wearing.”

Off he went to school, confident that once again, his mother was clueless.

I walked to his bedroom in search of dirty clothes. Sure enough, his laundry basket was full, crumpled up dirty clothes on top. I pulled up the dirty outfit and underneath was a pile of shorts, all neatly folded, yearning to be put in their respective drawers.

I giggled and sighed. “Lord Jesus, are you seeing this?”

Noah and I have this wonderful, painful, difficult, fulfilling relationship. I need him in my life right now to provide joy and lessons on following Christ. God uses him often to teach me about both the tenderness and the pride in my life.

Noah needs me to provide joy and lessons on following Christ. And to provide clean laundry or directions to finding clean laundry in the basket.

We need each other, don’t we? But here is a better question: do we need God? Really need Him?

It’s a question that goes directly to the core of our struggle. Am I self-sufficient? I mean, do I really need God to live?

Many in our country would say a resounding NO.  God is a fairytale, legend and myth.

Many would say YES, but only in dire straits and or in sickness or unemployment. Only when

hopelessness consumes.

  

Both of these are sad answers; they reflect a world where God is not part of everyday life. When I invite Him to eat breakfast with me, walk with me or go into Noah’s room to look for dirty laundry, HE BECOMES REAL. His strength fills me up over eggs, He gives me goals and dreams as I walk the dogs and He laughs with me when I find neat clothes under dirty ones.

I need the Lord. To be “poor in spirit” is to know we are lacking in our soul. It is to understand my need for God and to ask Him to rescue me from my self-will. Then I allow Him to be real in my life, every day and every moment. Remember the part of the Lord’s Prayer that says “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When we realize how much we NEED God, we allow the kingdom of heaven, His Will, to be part of our lives right here on earth.

Noah, who I need so much, came home that day and found his basket full of neatly folded shorts. “Mom,” he called, “thanks for doing my laundry!”

I felt needed and it was lovely. Did I tell him what really happened? Not right then.

Instead I focused on God and heard His laughter in my heart.