Washing

Our twenty year old washing machine broke over three weeks ago. In the past, I would ordered a refurbished control board, possibly a new water pump, and for a third of the price of a new machine we’d be back in business in about a week. The design of our old washer made it very easy to repair. Alas, it’s too old now, and parts were unavailable. A new washer was ordered of the same make.

It took some time for the machine to arrive from the distributor to the warehouse. Enough time that I had to make a laundry run over to our church where, after a recent remodeling, a washer and dryer had been installed. I did a couple of loads there to tide us over.

After our hopes were dashed a week ago when the hoped-for washer didn’t arrive on the truck at the warehouse, we were quite ready for the new one to arrive yesterday. The twin peaks, the overflowing mountains of laundry, the clothes that had been deemed dirty, but not too dirty, the towels and sheets that really needed a good washing, all of these moved downstairs queued in front of the washer.

As I moved load after load into the washer, the dryer, then folded, hung up, or otherwise put away, I kept having these thoughts: my family is really fortunate. Yes, it was inconvenient to do without a washer for nearly a month’s time. But, we were fortunate to have enough clothing for a couple of weeks of wear. Fortunate to have a place we could go to wash clothing for no cost. Fortunate to be able to absorb the cost of a new machine without going without food, utilities or medicine.

This is a season where Madison Avenue preaches the sermon of need and greed. ‘You need more stuff’; ‘You need new stuff’; ‘Give stuff to people so they know you care’

It is the season of Advent in the Christian church. The season of waiting for a new life to be born in a manger, and, indeed, in each of us.