The Laundry Issue

I washed a load of clothes a few weeks ago. Doing the laundry is not new to me, but my wife normally handles the laundry duties. I see now that she is much better at it than I am.

I sorted the clothes, put them in the washing machine, added detergent and fabric softener, and turned on the washer. This is not a hard process and things went according to plan. At least I thought they did. 

I put on a pair of jeans after they came out of the dryer and went to work. It was on the way to work that I realized something was wrong. The problem was not that my jeans smelled like lavender. The problem was that it had an overwhelming lavender scent. Do not get me wrong.  Lavender has a lovely smell. However, too much lavender is not so lovely when you smell it all day long.

The problem was not the fabric softener. It did what it was supposed to do. The problem was that I used too much. I have this issue; when I see a line that says max, I fill things up to that line. I do not go above it, but I will go to the maximum line.

For the most part, fabric softener is a good thing, but it can ruin your day when too much is applied.

The same thing goes for the things we use daily.

Social media, for example, is normally a good thing. It helps connect us with family and friends. It can entertain us by seeing the posts of others. There are memes, jokes, and funny stories that have happened to those we know. I have met new friends on social media that I would love to meet in person someday.

Social media is also a place where we can do some networking. I know of one such place that helped someone find a job.

Social media can also ruin your day. People do not always use these things correctly. Some use it to gain their fifteen minutes of fame. Others mimic ridiculous acts often causing injury or death. Others use social media to force their agenda on you. I do not mind a civilized and logical debate; however, shoving your opinion down my throat will never get me to change my opinion. I even hate seeing the opinions to which I agree being shoved down the throats of others. Tell me once or twice and I get your point. Tell me 700 times, and I will quit listening. I prefer to see things that make my day happier and not divisive.

Like fabric softener, too much of anything can cause things to stink. Some people prefer to stink. Some people enjoy throwing their pearls to pigs. However, pigs do not wear pearls. There are many good in this life on which to focus. Do not choose to think only on the negative, divisive issues that we face. Some issues need to be addressed, but they are not the only thing happening.

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Those seem like better things on which to focus our attention. Take a second to do a smell test. Do the things you post come across as sweet and lovely or do they come across as foul? Try to make someone’s day rather than trying to ruin it.  

The Dog Chaser

Many years ago, I held a job as a meter reader. Going onto people's properties to get to an electric or gas meter could sometimes be an adventure.

I remember this one house that raised about two feet off the ground. It set back about one hundred feet away from the front fence. The electric meter was on the right rear side of the house. As any seasoned meter reader would do, I checked for signs of trouble before entering. I rattled the gate, saw no food bowls or animal tracks, and called out to alert anyone or anything that I was entering.

I cautiously approached the house and remained alerted for possible unseen danger. It was not until I reached the front corner before a full-grown German Shepherd came from under the house running full speed in my direction. He was not happy with my presence in his territory.

It is truly amazing how fast the mind can think. I went through possible scenarios of escape. I could not outrun the dog, at least not in the distance required. In those tenths of seconds that I had, I was struggling to get a reasonable idea. No good ideas came to mind.

Out of time and needing to act fast, I acted on impulse with what seemed like an incredibly stupid plan. I took my handheld device for inputting readings from the meters, lifted it over my head with one hand and ran at the German Shepherd full speed yelling.

What was I thinking? At this point, not a lot.

The result of my action was more than I could have expected. The German Shepherd's hair stood straight up on its back.  It turned and ran as far away from me as it could and hid. I was able to back out of the yard with the electric meter's reading. I was able to calm down and breathe again.

We all have problems that we face in life. Ignoring them does not make them disappear. Sometimes these problems are developed over a long time. Sometimes they present themselves suddenly.

I thought about this story when I read about David and Goliath. Goliath was a big problem for David, but he ran towards the problem to defeat it.

We certainly need to be watchful of possible troubles to avoid them from becoming catastrophic. I do not mean live in fear of everything just do not let your guard down. Do not run from the trouble in your life. Do something to overcome it.

Most of the time, we will have more time to think about what to do than just tenths of a second.  Use the time to prepare a winning strategy. Talk to people that have succeeded in dealing with the same sort of trouble. Some people are not looking out for your best interest. Make sure you consult with wise and knowledgeable people.

Like people have said, "Doing something is better than doing nothing." You can always check and adjust your plan later if needed.