Care Instructions

“...because this garden is your soul. This mess is you! Together, you and I, we have been working with a purpose in your heart. And it is wild and beautiful and perfectly in process. To you it seems like a mess, but to Me, I see a perfect pattern emerging and growing and alive—a living fractal.” --William P . Young

I was doing laundry the other day and had properly sorted through the multi-colored items making piles of whites, lights and darks. Since my mother had lectured me on the proper way to load a washing machine, I now follow what she claims she read straight from the manual. You first add your detergent and then select the settings and wait until the water has filled the tub before dropping the clothes in the now well mixed water and soap. The machine is on and running with the washing stem in the center twisting away while you load your laundry.
I thought all I had were whites and suddenly in the turbulent water entered one of my favorite sweaters that was white with black trim.

Oh no! Black in a load of white with hot water and bleach is not a good combination. Not only could I potentially ruin my sweater, I could ruin everything in the whole load. I frantically tried to pull it out but half of it was already twisting around the twirling center stem. It was like slow motion as the sweater stretched to three times its original size. I had to stick my arm elbow deep in the suds and dig around to wrench it loose. Poor sweater. The one arm I had rescued before it hit the water was dry and normal looking while the rest of the sweater was dripping wet and sadly, super stretched.

I thought, “Oh, no, what do I do. Should I toss it back in, I wonder what temperature of water it should be washed in, can this even be washed in a machine and what is it made out of? Yikes, I know nothing about this lovely sweater other than my liking it. So what did I do, what did I do? I read the care instructions on the tag of course.

There on the tag it told me all about the garment. Where it came from, what it was made of, even the exact combination that comprised the fabric makeup. Knowing what comprised it gave you a better idea of why you need to care for it the way they instructed.

Wouldn't it be awesome if we had, like our clothes, a label with care instructions. Every article of clothing you purchase no matter how teeny it may be has a tag with instructions of how to properly clean, care for and handle it, as well as listing all the materials used to make it. Wow imagine that for people. You take one look at them and know they came from New York which explains the accent. You know that one parent is Italian and the other American Indian which explains the beautiful complexion. And then the greatest part is you know how to handle and treat them.

Hand wash only....beware high maintenance. Dry clean only... expensive to clean and annoying. Hand wash separately.... probably doesn't play well with others? Warm iron if needed....needs a little help getting the kinks out, little rough around the edges? Tumble dry low, avoid high heat.....doesn't react well to stress. Line dry only.....holds a grudge forever and needs lots of time to let go. Machine wash warm, tumble dry....pretty easy going, not to sensitive.

It would make entering a relationship much easier because you know what you are buying upfront. “Honey, you knew I was Hand wash separately, Line dry only when you married me, I am sorry I can't be like you and be a Machine wash, cold gentle cycle. I am 100% silk not a 100% cotton.

I have noticed though that easy is kinda boring. Simple can be nice, but isn't complex so much more interesting. Doesn't the mystery in life make it worth living. If you knew everything you needed to take the best care of yourself would you even do it or would you be hopping in that dryer on high heat just to see what might happen.

If you are wondering about my sweater I read the instructions and said, “Que sera sera, whatever will be will be.” And tossed it in, even though it advised that hot water with bleach was exactly what you shouldn't do, it came out just fine.

So sometimes even when you read the instructions and do NOT follow them things still work out okay. It probably will not be pretty in the middle of it, like my stretched out sweater but it can all be redeemed in the end. Thankfully it is called God's grace and it has been threaded throughout my whole life; we all have it in our fabric makeup. 100% of my happiness is due to His grace being weaved in me when I least deserve it. If you want to know what is on my tag just ask.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;”~Psalm 139:13-18

Lord please help us to take better care of ourselves, reveal to us how we should best care for others and help us to be happy for each and every thread that is in us. Weave us all closer together and closer to you, help us not unravel in the hard times but instead let us just become stronger in every fiber of our being.

Heaven helped me 12/12/08
Love Always,
A*