Dirty Laundry

So I had just finished up with the fourth load of laundry for the day, and I was a little exhausted. Jared and I have never really appreciated drying machines until we had to live without one. Doing laundry can be a slow process, with having to hang-up four, FULL loads of clothes out on the lines. It usually takes several hours, on a good day, to do laundry. I was walking in the house after getting the first two loads of clothes down from the line when a friend asked me, "So... you got a busy day today?" I responded, "Well, laundry always takes me sooooooo long, that I barely have any time to get anything else done. It takes up my whole morning!" He just smiled and gently said, "At least you don't have to wash it in the pila (a sink that is used to wash clothes, see picture below)."

I just hung my head and realized that so many people here in Guatemala are not blessed with a washer and definitely not a dryer. This simple statement made me realize how I need to stop looking at what I don't have, and start looking at what God has given me. This past weekend the staff here at NLCH had the privilege of attending a missionary conference. The speaker made a statement that gave me chills, he said, "What if the only things we had today, were the things we had given God thanks for yesterday?"

I thank God that he is teaching me to be grateful for what I have, even if that means stretching me and taking me out of my comfort zone. I need to learn to be content whatever the circumstances, and trust Him to give me what I need. Everything else that I have beyond necessities, is an added blessing from God.