Amazingly my Facebook post about loading dishwashers right generated more comments than anything I've posted about God, so efficiency is valued. (Though I do think God could write a book On the Gracious Art of Creating Universes.) So I started thinking about other things in life that I notice appreciatively.
Small houses. Even cottages. When I was young, I used to drool and lust over giant, gorgeous houses that other lucky people owned. My mother-in-law commented "That's a whole lot of house to clean." I thought she was just being a kill-joy. Today I'm of the mindset "Have as much house as you really need and not one room more." Maybe it's because I've developed arthritis. Nah. I've developed common sense. My own house is Just Right.
I appreciate dandelions in my lawn. Who decided to call them "weeds," anyway? No chemicals on our lawn means that I can watch birds and baby bunny rabbits hop about and happily dig for worms and nibble sweet clover. A win-win all the way. I'm happy that I no longer lust and drool over weedless, emerald green carpets and can enjoy a natural look without shame.
Husbands who can remember every car that every child ever owned and can discourse about them - well, forever. I truly believe Paul and I have different types of memory cells. The first time he remembered a car and I didn't, I thought I was going mad. I mean, I NEVER would remember who had a Volkswaggon Rabbit or a Ford Fairmont. (I must add, he also remembers every accident had by every child in every car.)
But, now I can appreciate this because whenever he can talk to our children about a car they owned or an accident they had say twenty-five years ago, it makes them feel special, unique. It really does. Much better than recalling who had what surgery when or threw up on what or got spanked for what, which is what MY memory cells are about. Although when we're out driving and he gasps and says "Look at that car behind us! It's the same make and model that Danny drives on 'Hawaii Five-O!" I chuckle quietly. And thank God he doesn't ASK for the make and model that Danny drives, like some seniors do when they have Senior Life Crisis.
Love and life are simple, really. We make them complicated when we lust and drool so much over WHAT everyone else has and WHO everyone else has and the POWER that everyone else has that we forget about a life attitude that God recommends. (You KNEW I'd get Him into this!) "You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8). That kind of attitude requires neither scads of money nor a perfect spouse or children or body, nor a mansion nor being President of a Corporation.
How refreshing of God to only want this of me. I can be happy with a lower-cost working dishwasher, a husband who waxes eloquent over cars and accidents, and weeds in my yard.