Underwear is a Gift
It's been a long time since I've blogged but something has happened in my life recently that I wanted to share. A year or so ago, I read the book, "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up," by Marie Kondo. I had to admit that the book made an impact on me and I put several of the ideas she suggests into practice. I haven't done everything (I couldn't bear to get rid of a book I haven't read regardless of how long it has been on my shelves) but there are several that I really like such as bare kitchen counters. I used to be someone who had crocks that held utensils and other cutesy things. I thought it looked homey but, in reality, made it very hard to easily clean because everything had to be moved back and forth while wiping off the counters. I like this one so much that if I find anything on my counters now it is irritating to me. I like the sparse, "naked" look. It makes preparation of meals super easy. I don't have to clear a space just to fix the next meal.
The suggestion that is probably the strangest to me but is the purpose of this blog concerns underwear/panties and nightgowns/pajamas. In her book, Kondo suggests gently folding all your panties and standing them on end so when you reach in to grab a fresh pair in the morning, you can immediately choose the color you want and style. Kondo also suggests that taking care of your undergarments (and pretty much everything else) in this manner shows you care about the items and respect them. It's hard to explain all of her theory in this short blog.
I had never folded underwear or nightgowns in my life. I always put these items away in my dresser after washing and drying, but folding them? Ha! So each morning I would dig through my underwear kind of like looking for a treasure at the bottom of the pail. After reading her book, I thought, "What the heck?," and tried it. I carefully followed her instructions in folding (this sounds easy but takes a little effort since the amount of fabric is small and often slippery) and put my newly folded underwear in the appropriate dresser drawer. Next morning I got up and voila! I reached in and quickly found the exact pair I wanted and put them on. Seeing my pairs all lined up neatly in a row made me feel kind of special in a weird way. I did the same with the nightgowns and followed her guidelines on other clothing items as well.
Kondo has received a lot of criticism since she admits that she talks to the things in her home, thanking them for being a part of her life, thanking them at the end of the day, etc. Many people laugh at the idea of talking to inanimate objects and think her entire process is silly. But I'm not so sure...
Over the weekend my hubby and I watched the 70s movie, '"Godspell." We are both old enough to remember the release of that movie and there are several songs that have stood the test of time. One of my favorites is the song, "All Good Gifts." The song has a beautiful melody and some of the lines come straight from James 1:17, All good gifts are sent from heaven above (paraphrasing from phraseology in song).
Well, after we watched the movie I was putting away my freshly laundered underwear. As I folded and stacked, I was struck with the thought that if all good gifts are sent from heaven above, doesn't that include my underwear and my other clothes and items in my house? Now many people might not think of underwear as a good gift, but why shouldn't it be a good gift? I'm thankful I have clean underwear to wear every day, thankful to have a bed to sleep in with clean sheets and blankets, etc. God gifted me with many opportunities in my life so that I could get an education to pay for these items but isn't the ability to purchase things a direct result of God's many gifts to me? So...if these items are gifts from God, doesn't it make sense that we take care of them and treat them with dignity? What if Christ walked into my house with a stack full of household items stating these were His special gifts to me? You can bet your bottom dollar that I would treasure those items and treat them with honor. Well, since God gave me everything I have either directly or indirectly, shouldn't I treat each item with the same level of honor and respect I would give something He handed me directly? I think Kondo may have used different words/phrasing, but the end result is the same.
When my kids were small, each one had to make their bed before coming to breakfast. They whined but did it. I was teaching respect for their home and each other by creating a tidier home environment. I was teaching them (although I didn't know it at the time) to take care of the gifts God had given them. Isn't it important to make sure our children learn how to take care of the gifts God has given them?
What about taking the time to fold your own clean laundry and with each item think, God gave this to me; it is in my safekeeping; I need to take care of it to honor Him. Does that change the way you think about what you have in your house?
Most churches today talk about saving the environment, etc. Doesn't that begin with the small things we have in our homes every day? If we teach our children to honor the small everyday things in our life, doesn't that help prepare them to take care of the bigger things in our world?
This in no way means that "things" are more important than people. But think of it this way, if you had been at the Last Supper, and the chalice was left for you to keep, would you take care of it? It's a thing, but it has been placed by God in your care. My underwear is certainly not the equivalent of the chalice, but it has been put in my care by God. I think taking care of His gifts to me is honoring Him.
Praise God and all His good gifts!
The suggestion that is probably the strangest to me but is the purpose of this blog concerns underwear/panties and nightgowns/pajamas. In her book, Kondo suggests gently folding all your panties and standing them on end so when you reach in to grab a fresh pair in the morning, you can immediately choose the color you want and style. Kondo also suggests that taking care of your undergarments (and pretty much everything else) in this manner shows you care about the items and respect them. It's hard to explain all of her theory in this short blog.
I had never folded underwear or nightgowns in my life. I always put these items away in my dresser after washing and drying, but folding them? Ha! So each morning I would dig through my underwear kind of like looking for a treasure at the bottom of the pail. After reading her book, I thought, "What the heck?," and tried it. I carefully followed her instructions in folding (this sounds easy but takes a little effort since the amount of fabric is small and often slippery) and put my newly folded underwear in the appropriate dresser drawer. Next morning I got up and voila! I reached in and quickly found the exact pair I wanted and put them on. Seeing my pairs all lined up neatly in a row made me feel kind of special in a weird way. I did the same with the nightgowns and followed her guidelines on other clothing items as well.
Kondo has received a lot of criticism since she admits that she talks to the things in her home, thanking them for being a part of her life, thanking them at the end of the day, etc. Many people laugh at the idea of talking to inanimate objects and think her entire process is silly. But I'm not so sure...
Over the weekend my hubby and I watched the 70s movie, '"Godspell." We are both old enough to remember the release of that movie and there are several songs that have stood the test of time. One of my favorites is the song, "All Good Gifts." The song has a beautiful melody and some of the lines come straight from James 1:17, All good gifts are sent from heaven above (paraphrasing from phraseology in song).
Well, after we watched the movie I was putting away my freshly laundered underwear. As I folded and stacked, I was struck with the thought that if all good gifts are sent from heaven above, doesn't that include my underwear and my other clothes and items in my house? Now many people might not think of underwear as a good gift, but why shouldn't it be a good gift? I'm thankful I have clean underwear to wear every day, thankful to have a bed to sleep in with clean sheets and blankets, etc. God gifted me with many opportunities in my life so that I could get an education to pay for these items but isn't the ability to purchase things a direct result of God's many gifts to me? So...if these items are gifts from God, doesn't it make sense that we take care of them and treat them with dignity? What if Christ walked into my house with a stack full of household items stating these were His special gifts to me? You can bet your bottom dollar that I would treasure those items and treat them with honor. Well, since God gave me everything I have either directly or indirectly, shouldn't I treat each item with the same level of honor and respect I would give something He handed me directly? I think Kondo may have used different words/phrasing, but the end result is the same.
When my kids were small, each one had to make their bed before coming to breakfast. They whined but did it. I was teaching respect for their home and each other by creating a tidier home environment. I was teaching them (although I didn't know it at the time) to take care of the gifts God had given them. Isn't it important to make sure our children learn how to take care of the gifts God has given them?
What about taking the time to fold your own clean laundry and with each item think, God gave this to me; it is in my safekeeping; I need to take care of it to honor Him. Does that change the way you think about what you have in your house?
Most churches today talk about saving the environment, etc. Doesn't that begin with the small things we have in our homes every day? If we teach our children to honor the small everyday things in our life, doesn't that help prepare them to take care of the bigger things in our world?
This in no way means that "things" are more important than people. But think of it this way, if you had been at the Last Supper, and the chalice was left for you to keep, would you take care of it? It's a thing, but it has been placed by God in your care. My underwear is certainly not the equivalent of the chalice, but it has been put in my care by God. I think taking care of His gifts to me is honoring Him.
Praise God and all His good gifts!
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