We have no dishwasher, it wouldn't fit in our little kitchen. So we are the dishwashers and clearly the reluctant putter-awayers. I don't mind unless the dish I need is under the mountain, then I end up putting away with a grumble. Air drying is clearly our first choice but may not serve us best? It can be hard to find a rhythm in transition. We are transitioning from never ending winter to instant summer (think Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when Aslan gets back into town) overnight we went from low gear farm projects to high gear everything! The two oldest kids came home from college for two weeks and then moved to Pittsburgh for the summer (think unpack, boxes, bags everywhere, repack with left overs piled unsteadily in corners and along walls) while the two younger kids were in the midst of the run up to finals week and end of year projects and events. And to keep things hopping, it's been a busy season for the church and every living thing has been growing at ridiculous speed.
Finding a rhythm is the impossible dream, so instead I am trying to find peace and joy in the flow.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4
Mike pointed out that the early Christians were facing severe persecutions when James wrote this which I know, but James said "trials of many kinds", and I believe that means of all kinds from death by lion to "where the heck are my keys!" or "Are the chickens out again! In the strawberries! Are you serious!" Many kinds of trials and I assure you I am tempted in these moments, seriously tempted to do chickens real bodily harm after they rapidly eat several pounds of berries in under ten minutes while I am chasing them around in sweaty circles.
So perseverance requires testing and that will some day lead me to maturity. I look forward to continuing to grow and deepen. I want it to be easy, who doesn't, but it won't be, it never has and and it never will be. People who have it easy are cheated of the many opportunities to mature that the rest of us have. So in a way you and I are rich, rich in opportunities to become complete and to lack nothing, James says so.