Do you have any idea how fast dirty laundry piles up when your washing machine fails?
When the old one could no longer be repaired, we went out to purchase a new one.
Between the time it took to make the decision to look for a new machine, the time it took to decide the right features and read the reviews, the time it took to go out and purchase, and the time it took to deliver, dirty laundry filled baskets and closet floors.
We expect something like the washing machine to clean up after us without fail. When that something is not there, the mess becomes its own problem.
I have heard that if the boss is away for a week or two, few notice. If the custodian is gone even a few days, everyone notices.
We all live in webs of interlocking social systems that both sustain and limit us. They sustain us by “cleaning up after us.”
We rely on our support networks at work, at play, and at home to keep things going. When one fails, we have to find ways to accommodate the new situation.
The spiritually healthy person seeks to maintain the social networks that support their life because family, friends, faith community, work and country are all vulnerable. Similarly, when one is in crisis, the spiritually healthy person reaches out to their support networks to keep the dirty laundry from overwhelming them.
Pardon me; I have to go open the door for the delivery of a new washing machine. . .
Grace and Peace.
