Spin Cycle

Laundry is never ending.  Even as you finish the ‘last load’ something you’re wearing will need to be washed.   And the Spin Cycle seems to take the longest when you’ve forgotten to wash what you need.

While doing laundry one night I thought about the Spin Cycle and me.  The last few months have been a constant state of change.  Not knowing which way was up, if I was headed in the right direction, or, if the news is to be believed, in this ‘dire economy’ my life would fall apart.

God tells us we will be tested.  And times of testing can wear me out.  I pull away from my normal over-exuberance toward others while I attempt to ‘work out’ what’s going on in my life.  And I question WHY I need to be tested.  And… I thought of my clothes.

I wash my favorites over and over because they get the most use and become dirty.  Not because I want them to fade, get tumbled again and again, or shrink.  They get the most use because I love them the best.  They need to be clean and ready to be used at a moments notice.

The laundry cycle remains the same.  Detergent is put in, then the dirty clothes.  The water starts to pour on them… making them heavy and wet and completely at the mercy of the machine.

Then the twisting and turning begins.  The clothes are spun to remove the dirt and water.  And just when it seems to be over – the rinsing starts.  More water, more agitation and finally softener.  Then they go into the dryer and finally, FINALLY they are ready to be folded and put on the shelf.

That is what God’s testing does to me.  I feel twisted and turned, overwhelmed and beaten up and heart sore.  That softened heart is then ready to accept the cleaning God had planned from the beginning.  God gently picks me up and puts me in place to be used for Him again.

Cleaned, refreshed and renewed in spirit.

James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Many times I feel I’ve somehow failed God when He tests me.  That the tests are too much for me to bear.  But once I compared God’s testing of me to my laundry cycle, it became easier to realize that times of testing will come and go, leaving me better than when I started.  Reminding me that God chose me to be a part of His plan, and I will continue to need to be cleaned and readied for the next time God needs me.

Where are you?  Are you in the Spin Cycle?  Or do you feel your tub is just filling with water and you’re ‘over your head’?

This week will you take time to thank God for His testing and refining?