Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience . . . . And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.—Colossians 3:12, 14 (NIV)

As soon as they’re old enough, I assign my kids chores to help out around the house. My youngest, Jocelyn, is currently responsible for sorting the laundry. After school, she has to dampen a few cloths, toss them into the dryer with the clothes that have been sitting there, and turn the dryer on for a few minutes to fluff the load and get the wrinkles out. Then, she sorts the clothes into piles according to their owner, all while being sure not to wrinkle them again. Once she delivers the piles, each person is responsible for folding and putting away his or her own clothes. It is such a joy to walk into my laundry room and find the baskets and dryer blissfully empty!

Sometimes, the juggling act of parenting, maintaining a household, and writing from home can feel an awful lot like an overflowing laundry basket to me. That’s when I know I need to cycle in some extra time with Jesus. Despite laying a jumbled and wrinkled mess of problems at His feet, He spins it, gets the wrinkles out, and fluffs me back to life. After a few moments together, I’m sorted out, more ready to clothe myself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Being with Jesus is never a chore.