Our New Year's Washing Machine "Adventure"

New Year’s Day morning:

I put a load of clothes in the washer, and soon I heard funny sounds. They got gradually louder and more like knocking. At first, the machine worked okay, but when the washer was supposed to spin, it didn’t. It just made a strange humming noise. I called for my husband to come and listen. (He is an amazing handyman.)

True to form, he found the problem. It’s fixable, probably, but our washing machine is twelve years old. We’ve decided to look for a new one soon.

Why do I tell you about our appliance problem?

Because, while I was wringing out the wash by hand, my Purpose Statement for 2013 came to mind: Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being (Psalm 146:1-2). I decided to think about reasons to praise God in the middle of my dying washing machine experience.

I will praise God:

• That I don’t have to wash my clothes by hand every day (like in many, many places of the world). It’s a blessing and a gift that I ever had a clothes washer.
• That the clothes were finished washing. I didn’t have to re-wash them after getting them out of the washer.
• That our washer lasted twelve years. (We’re told that most machines here last five. Our last clothes washer lasted almost twenty! Something else to be grateful for.)
• That my husband is able to locate mechanical problems and make wise decisions.
• That I remembered to praise the Lord in a not-so-desirable situation.

In every thing (even in dying washers) give thanks:

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Do you have an “in everything give thanks” story to tell? We’d love to hear it.