A Washer Full of Rocks. Borrowed with Permission from Lauren McDonald https://www.facebook.com/lauren.mcdonald.5473894

Preface:  I recently saw this post from Lauren McDonald on FB (Janie’s DIL) and I immediately thought of the verse from 1Thessalonians 5:18.   But, then others came to mind as well.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Read the following story from Lauren McDonald.  Shared with her permission.. 

     “As I was doing laundry this weekend, I pulled a load from the washing machine and heard the cringeworthy sound of gravel scraping metal. It sounded like marbles being poured over stainless steel. I peeked in the washer, anticipating the worst. Maybe there were random screws floating around or pieces of some electronic device that was inadvertently left in a pocket. Then I saw it:

A pile of tiny rocks.

I start checking pockets, scratching my head, trying to think how in the world this pile of itty, bitty pieces of rock landed in my washer. The culprit showed up in the form of teeny size 2T pants - Chet had stuffed a handful of rocks into his pockets. I missed them somehow in the chaos of trying to wash all the things and clean all the spots, etc.

You see, this sweet boy is always bringing home things for his mama. It may be rocks or acorns or flowers or sticks, but he is rarely emptyhanded.

I sobbed.

Sitting in my laundry room, messy hair, covered in dust and cleaning solutions from scrubbing down corners of the house while wrestling my two wild littles, I broke down. I prayed and thanked God with everything inside me for the “gift” my little boy left me. I cleaned them out, lined them on the washer, and started the next load. They sat on the washer as I stared at them and thought about the mother who held her baby for the last time. She will never have rocks in her washer, dirty socks on her floor, dishes from her sweet baby’s lips in her sink…ever again.

Y’all, life is so precious. It’s short, it’s sweet, it’s hard, it’s beautiful. But man, it’s PRECIOUS. Every single day is a gift! Every one!

Don’t be so caught up in survival and the petty things happening around you that you become frustrated by rocks in the washer. These little ones are our biggest blessings, our greatest ministry, our one true legacy. Hold them. Love them. Give them grace. Let them leave a sock or two on the floor from time to time.

And thank God for a washer full of rocks. 💙”

How often have we let the circumstances of the day throw us off course?  How often do we let that “one little thing” tick us off and cause a fuse to blow?  (Y’all know what I mean.)  How often does some little event create a monumental crisis that really isn’t a crisis at all?  Too often we don’t let these events roll off like water from a duck’s back.  Pause and take a minute to thank God, if for no other reason than to regroup and get back to a calm spot.  We all need a reminder once in a while to be thankful for "a washer full of rocks.”

Every one of my grandchildren and myself, are constantly picking up rocks becasue they are pretty and unique. The picture above is my collection of "pretty rocks". Find a rock today and stick it in your pocket to be a reminder to give thanks for all things.