The Laundry Basket

It often sat at the end of our bed, full of the husband's unmentionables. I set it there so he would know it was time to put his clothes away. I had washed them, dried them (well the machine did most of that) and kindly folded them. Literally all he needed to do was PUT THEM IN A DRAWER no more than 3 feet away. 

He rarely did. 

The basket would sit there and sit there and he would just take what he needed from it. Sometimes, I'd even REFILL the basket and put it back at the end of the bed. My goodness!

He still wasn't putting his clothes away.

No big deal, I thought. It really didn't bother me all that much and I wasn't his SLAVE. Certainly he could, at the very least, put them in the dresser. 

Sometimes, when it did start to rub on a nerve, I'd move the basket to his chair or his side of the bed. It's hard to miss there because he would need to move it in order to sit in his chair or get into bed. (subtle, aren't I?!)

So he'd move it....to the end of the bed. 

And once in a while we would laugh..."oh, you want me to put this away, don't you?" he would say. 

Well, yes, sweet husband. Would you mind putting your OWN clothes away? After all, I washed them, dried them AND folded them...

And then it happened. I was sitting in my own chair right across from the end of the bed (and the laundry basket) reading my bible (what a good wife I am). And that basket, in the corner of my eye, was completely ruining the ambiance of my nice clean bedroom. The bed was made, the room was clean, and the laundry basket was becoming an eye sore. How could I Instagram a picture of my quiet time with this monstrosity in the background?!?

Then I had the most ridiculous thought - "Why don't YOU put it away?" 

WHAT! ME! I've already established I am not the husband's slave. I cook and clean and keep this house, the very least the man can do is put away his own underwear!

And then I heard the Holy Spirit whisper as He will often do, "Aren't you supposed to SERVE him? After all, he's off serving you right at this very moment...."

Honestly!?!? Conviction. 

Here was an opportunity to die to myself and become like Christ - to serve - by putting away my husbands unmentionables. Granted, it isn't the most glamorous way to serve, but it is serving none the less. 

I immediately thought of that verse in Philippians (probably the Holy Spirit again) where it says, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking on the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men." (Philippians 2:5-7) 

That phrase, "taking on the form of a servant" really stuck out to me. Here I was refusing to be the husband's "slave" all while I am called to serve him just as Christ serves the church. To put his needs before my own, etc, etc. 

My only hope of a beautiful marriage is if I become more like Christ. And my only hope of that is if I humble myself and put my husband before myself. Day after day I beg God to help me do it and then I fold the laundry and put it in a basket at the end of the bed. All while thinking I'm justified because I'm not his servant...but in reality, I am.

So, that day I put his laundry away and I have ever since. It's such a small, almost pointless task but it taught me something big.

It only took him a few loads of laundry to notice the basket was gone.  I know if I put the basket at the end of the bed again he would eventually put his clothes away, but today I have the time and the ability to do it for him.

So I will.

PS: For those concerned, the hubs in no way treats me like his slave and is much better at imitating the humility of Christ than I am!