Have you ever tried to help somebody else only to have it backfire on you? That happened in our house a few years ago and it wasn’t pretty.
I went back to work full time when our daughter Sara was around 11 years old. Needless to say, it was quite an adjustment for me. One of the bigger challenges was keeping up with laundry. Finally, I came up with a way that made it much easier. Before I left for work, I would wash a load of clothes and then I would dry them after I got in that day
One day I came in from work and walked straight to the washer. You see, I already had the evening planned out. I was going to dry the clothes while I cooked supper. By the time I was finished cooking, my clothes would be dry and ready to hang up. I raised the lid expecting to see my work clothes inside it, but it was empty. For a moment, I was stumped. Did I get confused and forget to put the load in that morning? No, I remembered washing them. That’s when the realization hit me. Since Tim was off from work that day, he may have put them in the dryer. I held my breath and jerked open the dryer door. Yep. My clothes lay inside in a crumpled wad.
My plans for the evening had been ruined. In my anger and frustration, I stomped into the living room where my husband Tim was watching TV. I proceeded to fuss at him: “Why did you put my clothes in the dryer?”
Tim crinkled his eyebrows. “I was only trying to help.”
“But you didn’t get them out right after they finished drying.”
“So?” he asked.
“So, they’re perma press. Now I’ll either have to rewash them or stand for an hour while I iron them.”
“I’ll never help with laundry again.” Tim sounded angry and hurt.
I did apologize to him later, but the damage had been done.
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23 (KJV)
Obviously, I wasn’t fair to Tim. In my article, “Still Together,” I talked about us being a team. He was trying to be a team player by helping me. As for me, I didn’t guard my heart against the anger and irritation I felt when I saw the crumpled mass of my clothes. And because of that, I hurt his feelings. If I had guarded my heart, I would have realized how I have been so blessed with him and then I would have thanked him for trying to help me.
I daresay you’re thinking, “I bet he still doesn’t help with laundry.” Actually, he does, but it took a few years. If I don’t want him to mess with it, all I have to say are the magic words, “Perma press.”
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.