Washing Dishes

House work is a strange beast. For me, washing the dishes is what keeps the whole house clean. When I have a clean drainer full of dishes and an empty sink I want clean counters and tables and when the counters and table are clean I want to sweep and when the floor is swept…

You get the idea. It’s funny how such a small thing makes such a big difference. For me washing the dishes sets my whole routine in motion. It’s also a time I think, plan and reflect. When I had a window over my sink I could see out of, it was also a time to appreciate the natural world God blessed humanity with.

  Lately I have been thinking a lot about the importance of charity. It seems like we have a huge deficit of love in the world and our community.  I truly believe the way you bring someone to God, or to any good thing, is by love. Not fear of punishment or of being ostracized. There are all sorts of things people do that I don’t agree with but I still show them the charity that is demanded of any Christian. Whatever we might say or do that is good but void of charity won’t accomplish anything.

  How can we think someone will listen to us or want to be involved in something we promote if we don’t show them forgiveness and love and all that charity means?  To me charity is the purest form of love, Christ like love. Love that forgives those who will never “deserve” forgiveness. It assumes that someone can and will change, it’s expecting nothing in return for your time and effort.  It doesn’t spread gossip; It is a calm and kind answer in the face of anger. Charity is the ultimate goal. I am nothing but an imperfect human in an imperfect world. I make mistakes; I have all sorts of issues that get in the way of showing charity to others.  But first, I need to learn to show charity to myself. To believe that with gods help I have the capacity to be the best version of myself.

Charity is that “little” thing, like washing the dishes, that sets in motion living to show the perfect love of God.  Right now, I need to go wash those dishes so I can clean our house.

1 Corinthians 13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angles, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, it’s not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity , but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things believeth all things, hopeth all thing, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as child, I understood as a child, I thought as I child: but when I became a man I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.