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We should always come to God with the attitude of relief knowing that He
cares for us and wishes to lighten our heavy burdens. The Lord declares
in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am
meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My
yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” The Lord is not only our Savior and
King; He is also our Father who wishes for our best interest at all times.
Be encouraged to come to the Lord knowing that He does love you and wishes
to place your feet on His solid ground. (Psalm 46:1-5) (Jeremiah 33:3)
I hope you are encouraged by this message to come to God with your problems
sharing with Him all that is on your heart and rest assured that He will
answer your hearts cry.
A MOUNTAIN OF LAUNDRY
My husband and I became foster parents after we had been married for two
years. Our first placement was two little boys, brothers, who we adopted
after they were with us for eighteen months. When our boys were two and
three, we were asked to take one and three-year-old sisters into our home.
For the following two years we had our own little in-house, full-time daycare.
After the girls had been with us for about six months, I attempted to get
involved in a Bible study group at our church. One thing or another always
seemed to prevent me from attending. I was feeling a little discouraged,
but I'd purchased devotional tapes and a study guide and thought I could
keep up with the Bible study by myself at home.
One afternoon, after I'd put the children down for their naps, I tackled a
mountain of laundry that had piled up on the sofa and needed folding. As
I was folding, I began discussing my plight with the Lord. “You know,
Lord, I've started attending this Bible study and I'm trying to find time
for You and everything I need to do, but I just can't seem to find any
time. I've tried getting up before daylight, but one of the kids always
hears me and gets up wanting my attention and by bedtime I'm exhausted. I
guess I could do them during naptime, but that's the only time I have to
get caught up with the housework…mainly the laundry. I seem to be able to
keep up with most everything but this laundry! Well, I guess You know all
about it. You gave me all of these little kids to care for and You know
they need clean clothes to wear. You know how much work this takes and I
know You understand.”
The following Sunday my husband and I were sitting in Sunday School class
waiting for the teacher to begin, when our family's adopted grandmother,
Betty, came and sat down beside me. Betty is a widow who has raised five
children. She's a wonderful woman who's always helping someone, and had
personally blessed our family on many occasions, but I was totally
unprepared for what she had to say on that particular day!
She leaned toward me and said, “I have a proposition for you.”
My curiosity was aroused. “O.K., what is it?” I answered back.
She sweetly and softly replied, “I really think this is the Lord, but would
you let me do your laundry?”
As I sat gaping at her with my mouth hanging open, my mind was racing
trying to think who I could have told about my laundry situation. I knew
I hadn't mentioned it to anyone, not even my husband, Rodney. “Do you know
how much laundry I have?” I whispered back as my eyes started to fill.
“Honey, I've raised five children and I know how much laundry you have,”
was her response. Then she continued, “You know, what you and your husband
are doing raising these little children is wonderful, but I know it's hard
work. I'm an old woman and I don't watch other people's children anymore,
but I can do your laundry. You just have Rodney drop it off on his way to
work, and pick it up on his way home. I'll wash it, dry it, iron it, fold
it; whatever is needed.”
Shame on me, because the whole time she was speaking, I was thinking, “Oh,
Lord, not the underwear! I can't send our underwear to someone else to do!”
Betty was still talking, “Last week I noticed you up on the platform during
praise and worship and you looked very tired. I was thinking about you all
week and then I felt the Lord telling me to, `Ask Ronni if she'll let you
do her laundry,'” then she finished with, “Now, don't you rob me of this
blessing!”
At the time I didn't know how to respond. Not wanting to hurt Betty's
feelings, I let her know I would think about her offer. Even though I had
poured out my heart about how difficult it was to keep up and how I missed
my devotional time with Him, I was unprepared for God to actually do
something about it. He had given me the task of caring for these little
ones and I was a little put out that He'd taken me seriously when I said I
was having trouble keeping up. So I thought, “If I just get a little more
organized, I can take care of this myself.”
As I walked in and surveyed the laundry room a couple of weeks later, I
sagged against the washer. The mountain of laundry hadn't diminished a
bit with my efforts to take care of things myself. As a matter of fact,
it was now bigger than ever. “Well, Lord,” I said, “I guess I could send
everything but the underwear.”
Very clearly, I heard that still small voice say, “When I ask you for your
dirty laundry, I want all of it, even the underwear.”
That's when I broke. That mountain of laundry now represented the mountain
of pride in my life. Who was I to look disdainfully on a gift offered in
love?
As I picked up the phone, my eyes were filling with tears and when I heard
sweet little Betty's voice on the other end, my own voice shook as I said,
“Betty, do you still want to help me with my laundry?”
My tears quickly turned to laughter at her ready response of, “Bring it on
over, Honey, bring it on over!”
Our clothes were never cleaner, brighter, or less wrinkled than during the
almost two years that Betty faithfully and lovingly did our laundry. Then
when our little foster daughters were placed in their “forever home”
through adoption, we both knew it was time for me to resume the task, and
although she no longer does our laundry, our friendship remains strong.
She laughed one day when I told her I wanted to be just like her when I
grew up. I still do.
By Ronni Wintermote
Read and meditate on these scriptures:
James 1:2-5 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers
temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire,
wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth
to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
Jeremiah 29:11-14 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith
the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will
hearken unto you. And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search
for Me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD...”
Joshua 1:8-9 “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but
thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do
according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way
prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded
thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou
dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible.
Today’s Selected Poem: HE IS IN CONTROL
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/inpoem142.htm
Today’s Selected Testimony: THE LORD WILL HELP YOU THROUGH
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony129.htm
In Christ’s Service,
Dwayne Savaya
God’s Work Ministry |
