Wash or Warsh
Thankfully most of us don't have to go on down to the river or build up our pecs with the washboard, but I still like to utilize my clothesline every now and then. There's just something about having fresh, clean laundry blowing in the wind.
When my kids were in sports I used so much pre-treat on the stains they ground into their clothes, I wrote to the company expressing my gratitude for their product and the great job it did. They sent me a patch. I may still have that silly patch; a small token of a job well done I guess.
It's funny that we sometimes comment, "It'll all come out in the wash". Will it? I think it depends on the stain, whether you pre-treat it or not and the temperature you wash it in. So, maybe it depends on the attention you give it. You can't just toss it in with everything else and expect it all to come out sparkling clean. If you ignore it, it will likely stay and be set forever once it's put in the dryer and it gets tumbled around in the heat.
In life there are often situations that are hard to deal with. Things happen that we want to "go away". We don't want to wear them or see them, we'd rather they just get thrown in with all the other problems and sort themselves out. Sins included. We go about our day and don't really pay mind to the things we do until they come back to bite us or get tossed back in our face. We're human after all, and we all fall short, falter and sin. Life can be messy and burdens heavy and sins too many. It's often difficult to deal with everything that we face day to day.
Stains need some attention. The ground in, stubborn ones need some elbow grease and extra care so that damage isn't done to the fabric while others may just need a light spray of some really good pre-treat product. I loved to tell my kids I had to really shout at their clothes to get them clean. In my sometimes childish and weird mind I could envision them picturing me yelling at their laundry. I crack myself up and I digress...
On days where sins are evident, it's your decision to wear them or deal with them. Whether you spend a little time sorting them out or decide to just toss them in with the rest, remember that Jesus does wash us white as snow, but there was a great effort in order to accomplish that brilliant clean.
I'd like to concentrate on making sure I pay attention to the "little" sins as much as my big ones. I really need to voice them and spend some time thinking about how to make sure they don't come back. And I may even need to do a little "shouting" or pleading-asking for help less they stain me for good. Giving them to God and letting Him sort them out is a huge factor in making sure they do come out in the wash, but a good pre-treat/repentance is time worth spending.
Although most things eventually do "come out in the wash" so to speak, sometimes we need to get in there and pay some attention to the problem area. Sins need to be tended to. Addressing them ASAP insures they aren't left for the "heat". I don't like heat and I try to stay away from it, and I'm 100 percent positive it is NOT in my eternal future! Therefore, with attention and repentance I am confident I'll be white as snow.
"Oh! precious is the flow, That makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, Noth-ing but the blood of Je-sus."
