Our Great Cloud

So I spent today scanning and emailing our dossier documents.  Several times, because apparently, I’m not so good at scanning.  Awesome.  And let us never speak of the number of times we had to go to the notary because I can’t seem to bring all the papers at one time.  My kids are thankful for all of the extra lollipops the bank gave them.

While scanning, I re-read our homestudy.  (Perhaps this is why I had to scan it three times.  Note to self: you are incapable of multitasking.  So stop trying.)  And then it struck me.  God really has been preparing us in advance for this good work He’s planning to do in our family. Sure, Scripture tells us that He does that.  But it was neat to take a pause and reflect upon it.  

There is this whole section in the homestudy about how we will handle any adversities that may arise medically or socially and how we plan to instruct our kids on the culture of the Congo. 

And folks, it’s pretty incredible.  

So I’d like to thank God and let the following people know that we see God at work in them in our lives so much that they even got ink in our homestudy:  Kim Eagle, Ali Shenk (so I need to thank Mollie Burpo for introducing us), Carrington Castle, Lisa Cox Nelson, Becky Hartman (again, Kim Forquer shout out for the FB introduction), Jennifer Farkas, Dr. Greg Childress, Dr. Beth Marshall, Dr. Gray Snowden, Cindy and Andy Schwarz, and Sarah and Max Doerfler.

You are our tangible great cloud of witnesses.  Thank you ever so much for your part in touching our hearts, educating us, and praying our family home.

Go...Hokies...Go! (No, GO TARHEELS, but still I like this book.)

Let it be known that I am NOT a Hokie fan.  At all.  Despite living in Richmond and having many Hokie friends, I think Hokie fans are all kinds of obnoxious.  They plaster their cars with turkeys and then have the audacity to change lanes without signaling.  They wear orange and maroon ALL THE FREAKING TIME.  I have a dear friend who is a Hokie who had Maroon and orange purses made for herself on Etsy.  I think it's a requirement if you graduate from Virginia Tech that you get a vanity plate to announce that fact.  Apparently Hokies think we care.  For my North Carolina readers, imagine if all the intelligent Carolina fans weren’t so snobby and behaved like State fans.  Got that?  Smart and obnoxious.  Yeah, they’re like that.  And they. are. everywhere.    

That said, I really am praying AGAINST out of state tuition, so I have to start grooming my kids to be either Hokies or Hoos.  Imagine my delight when I got my hands on this little book.  

You know that mascot book you’ve already got that is all kinds of lame?  And you read it a couple of times because a college friend gave it to you when your kids were born.  But what your child REALLY wants to read is that flap book about the bunny with the fuzzy tail?

Enter  Go… Hokies… Go!  

It takes HokieBird and walks him through the VT campus.  You can rub his feathers, help him flip through a book in Newman library, take him tubing on the New, and help him score a basket in Cassell Coliseum.  You can even scratch and sniff his pizza in Owens Food Court.  (I’m hoping that Hokie pizza actually doesn’t smell like the scratch and sniff.  Because this scratch and sniff pizza smells just like Raggedy Ann’s cooking in my favorite childhood interactive book.  Which made the smell awesome, but not so appetizing.)  It even has the Hokie fight song at the end.  Or, I’m assuming that “Tech Triump” is the Hokie fight song.  Admittedly, I probably would’ve enjoyed the book even more if I had remembered sleeping in Newman library or making out at the duck pond.  (I’m assuming people made out there.  Again, I’m not a Hokie.  And I kinda don’t like Hokies.  But if there had been a Duck pond in Chapel Hill, I think people would've made out there.  Because North Carolina is for lovers.  Wait, no, that's Virginia.)

My kids loved the book.  Henry’s favorite part was helping HokieBird score the basket and looking at the pile up of football players on fold out page.  Gracie’s favorite part was playing with the fans' pom poms.  As a Mom, my favorite part was the sturdiness of the book.  Most flap and play books get ripped up the first time you read them.  But this is printed on thick pages, almost like a board book.  That said, Gracie did rip out a few of the streamers on the pom poms.  But she’s like the Hulk, breaking pantry doors with just a look, so we shouldn’t really count that.  The writing rhymes and the illustrations are cartoony and reminiscent of Gary Larson or Berkeley Breathed.  

Bryan assured me that books for Carolina, NC State, UNCC, ECU, and Appalachian State should be coming out this fall and winter.  You can bet your bottom dollar that we are pre-ordering our Tarheel edition and will be emailing Bryan on a regular basis until there is also a Gamecock edition.   

Want a copy of your own?  You can buy yours here:  www.collegiatekidsbooks.com.   I think there may also be some copies floating around some specialty shops and kids’ stores in the Richmond area.   

Because you aren’t getting my copy.  We love it.  Even though it has that stupid turkey on the cover. 

*In the interest of full disclosure for the FTC, I was NOT compensated for this post.  The book was given to me by the author because we are friends and he was in town.  And by friends, I mean to say that his little sister is one of my childhood besties.  So in this case, “friends” means that he mocked and made fun of me for my entire childhood.  As in, when I told Sloan about the book and Bryan dropping it off at our house, he replied, “You mean that guy who always makes fun of you and calls you “Kings and Queens?  Sinchy Sinchy?”  Yes, Sloan.  That guy.

But we’ve both evolved.  For those of you who know us, Bryan Jones becoming a children’s book author is about as hilarious as me going to seminary.  Am I right?  

Also, let it be known that if one of my three books in process ever gets published, I fully expect all of you people to buy it, read it, and market the crap out of it on your blogs and facebook walls.  Cause that’s what friends do.  Unless the book sucks.  Then you can do nothing.  And that’ll be fine.  Because if this book had stunk, I wouldn’t have done this review.  Also, for the record, Bryan did NOT ask me to do this review.  I'm just doing it because I'm awesome like that.

So nobody sue me, because all of my money is tied up in adoption and giant holes in my kitchen ceiling.

Yard Sale: Part Deaux

The pictures I posted last week did not do the amount of items we had for sale justice.  Our living room, dining room, and front porch were stacked to the ceiling.  Not figuratively; literally.  In the week leading up to the sale, between 3 and 4 people showed up each day to drop items off.  Sometimes it was just a bag or two, but most times it was an entire trunk full.  (All the more reason I still long for a minivan, they can haul a lot of stuff!)  Sometimes people priced items, sometimes not.  Last Thursday I went to the grocery store with a 50 cent price tag affixed to my right breast while my left one was labeled “Not for Sale.”  I was pricing items in my dreams.  

And like every party I’ve ever thrown, I began to worry that no one was going to show up and all of this stuff was going to be left at my house.  So I made 10 two sided signs and plastered our neighborhood, and Lucks and Courthouse Roads.  I posted updates to Craigslist and various Yard Sale websites.  

People also loaned me their card tables.  Friday night, before going to bed early, we set out thirteen folding tables of various sizes.  They were joined by the three sets of wire shelving from my attic as well.  There was literally so much stuff that Sloan and I knew that if we did not have a schematic of where all of the stuff would be located, we would be lost.

Having gone to bed at 9, I awoke at 4am.  My goal was to get everything off the porch and house by the time my friends showed up around 6.  I figured we could sort things then.  I had half of the porch cleared before Sloan joined me around 4:30.  He helped me finish the porch and then began emptying the house onto the now clear porch while I began to do an initial sort or the items.  We were still emptying the house by the time our first helper arrived around 6:15.

As we sorted, my friends began snagging items they wanted and making piles for themselves in my now empty living room.  It will shock no one who knows her to learn that Rebecca Perry wins the "most things bought at our yard sale" award.  We began to get worried when by 7 no early birds had shown up.  But by 7:30, things were hopping.

We made over $500 before the yard sale “officially” opened up at 8am.  

From then on it really is all just a haze for me.  I was wearing my yard sale vest (Sloan’s old fishing vest with about a gagillion pockets.)  I had a pocket for ones, a pocket for fives and tens, and a pocket for larger bills.  I was the sole checkout lady.  At times there were lines.   

Because I was so busy I didn’t take any pictures, but here is one Sloan snagged with his phone.  Behind him was all of the furniture, hardware, and lawn equipment.  

It started to thin out around noon.  Which was good.  Because I wasn’t counting calories and I had an entire #12 Beach Club no mayo from Jimmy John’s to eat.  To be honest, Sloan and I were craving lunch around 10.  

By about 1:30, we were telling people they could fill a bag for $5.  By two, more friends showed up to help us bag and box and get things ready for the charity to pick it up.  

All told, we were completely D.O.N.E done with the sale by 4pm.  For those of you counting, that is a full 12 hours on my feet in my driveway.  I will certainly count this as labor pains.  I started popping 800mg of Motrin and could barely walk the next morning.  I’m just now beginning to return to “normal”.  But this labor was a lot more fun because I was surrounded by people who love me and my family so well.  

And it may or may not have ended with me in my kitchen throwing singles in the air while Sloan shouted “Baby, make it rain!”

Yard Sale: Part One

I know you are all on the edge of your seats just wanting to hear how the yard sale went.  You probably had a hard time going to sleep Saturday night just for lack of closure.  (I, having woken up at 4 am, did not.)  So I’ll spare you the suspense of the whole series and say up front that it was a HUGE success.  We made over $2500.  I’d give you a more specific number, but I keep getting emails from friends saying, “Hey, I put a check for $30 in the mail to you today.”

So first and foremost, I will use this first post to thank all of the folks who made the sale a reality.  It’s insane how many peeps helped out. (And forgive me if you contributed and I forgot to list you.  I'm still pretty tired...)

The following folks contributed items for our yard sale:  my parents, Sloan’s parents, my sister, the West End Presbyterian preschool yard sale, St. Mark’s Preschool, Jason and Abbe Voigt, Trish Elsmore, Nancy Dunn, Karen Chippendale, Jenn Warren, Kristen Riley, Sarah and Max Doerfler, Jack and Dolly Carroll, Paige Hannon,  Sara Gretz, Jill and Darin Smith, Brice Bowman, Heather Jarvis, Ann and Davison Long, Ali and Bob Shenk, Ali’s mom, Ali’s friend Jill, Jessie Tucker, Becky Hartman (who I met on FB because she has two adopted girls with the same diagnosis as Charlie and the first time we met was her dropping off oodles of toys for our yard sale!), Mrs. Kain (a teacher at Henry’s preschool), Tracy Scoggins’s parents, Casey Zollinhofer, Amanda Krieger, Kristine and Steve Bakos (Kristine gets extra credit for being 39 weeks pregnant and driving stuff to my house and then being one day shy of her due date and sending her husband to the preview sale), Kate Zachry, and the adorable Henry and Gracie Phillips.

I have to give Henry and Grace props.  I told them we needed to get rid of all of the toys that lit up and made noise because they would be overwhelming to Charlie.  Henry spearheaded the round up effort bringing me noisy trains, oinking hammers, whistling flashlights, blinking car garages, and he even offered up his DS his grandparents gave him for his 5^th birthday!  I hugged my loving boy and told him that he didn’t need to give up his DS for his little brother. 

The following peeps helped me get the word out about the sale on their blogs, facebook walls, MOPS groups, and places of business:  Tracy Scoggins, Ali Shenk, Amanda Krieger, Lisa Nelson, Shannon Reppard, Biff Pusey, Christa Spencer, Abbe Voigt, Katie Greene, Melissa Newsome, Kirsten Corbett, Erin Lucero, Jenny Brock, Sarah Morin, Ali Fogarty, Katharine Schloven, Heather Jarvis, Karen Chippendale, Jessie Tucker, Sarah Doerfler, Josh Rineholtz (whom I don’t even know!), and Merry Harrison.

A shout out to the ENTIRE Fogarty family for coming to our sale and setting up a Lemonade stand which was fantastic as it was pushing 85 by noon.  Those Fogarty boys sold $35 dollars worth of lemonade.  That’s 70 cups of lemonade! 

And I also need to give some shout outs to the peeps who gave me arms on the big day:  my nephew Caleb for spending the night and watching our kids, my handsome husband who woke up at 4 am with me, Jenny Brock for showing up at 6 with coffee and donuts, Melissa Mann for showing up at 6:30 with a cooler full of soda for the volunteers to drink and to sell, Rebecca Perry and Ann Long for literally walking to help at 6am and even bringing  cookies that the lovely Katherine Schloven made for our volunteers (and perhaps Gracie ate one or two or seven), the entire Fogarty clan—Ali, EJ, Owen, Mason, and Ryan, Jenn Warren, Kaylee Ann Schwarz, Tracy Scoggins and Abbe Voigt. 

BIG FAT SHOUT OUT TO MELISSA MANN FOR STAYING THE ENTIRE FREAKING TIME!!!! Seriously, Melissa was haggling and selling like a pro.  And every time the pockets in my Yard Sale vest got fat, Melissa came and snagged it, took the money inside, counted it and made sure it was safe.  If you can snag yourself a friend like Melissa Mann, a woman who gives of herself so completely and will text back and forth with you non-stop, I highly suggest it.      

And I would be remiss if I didn’t also give a holler to Pastor Wade Runge of Mountain Movers Ministries and M3 Thrift for coming to pick up the sales’ leftovers.  The proceeds of this month’s sales at M3 Thrift will go to raise money for JB Watkins Elementary School’s new playground and Pastor Runge also wants to discuss helping us out with our adoption.  So folks, shop at M3 Thrift.  (But please don’t but the bike chariot that I saw posted on their FB page, because I’m hoping to get that to tote around my kiddos when Charlie gets here and I can’t use the gym’s childcare!) 

I’ll go into more details of the sale later this week.   It was crazy.  God is pretty much just showing off. 

Something's Happening here...

We are almost set to send off our i800a.  In the adoption world, this is our preliminary immigration paperwork.  Basically, we are petitioning the US gov't to allow us to adopt a child from China.  Once we get the go ahead from China regarding our dossier and the like, we will then repetition them for adopting our specific Charlie.  (Insert plea to all young peoples to NOT get an alcohol possession ticket because it will become a giant thorn in your side when doing things like this.  It will require calls to clerks of courts, emails to lawyer friends, and letters overnighted to specific court houses because these tickets get wiped out of systems and then you'll also have to explain again and again that you were an idiot college freshman.)

Also, let it be known that God is at work through many many friends of ours.  Our living room is slowly becoming stacked to the ceiling with items for our yard sale.  And we haven't even finished emptying the attic of all the stuff donated by our families.  Henry's preschool even donated all the toys they decided to get rid of to Charlie's yard sale.  Once again, what a joy it will be to tell Charlie of all the folks who loved him here.

In addition to dropping off toys, clothes, furniture, books, and electronics, my friends are also volunteering to help at the yard sale.  A family is going to host a lemonade stand because they want their kids to be a part of making an orphan a son.  My buddy Ann has requested to be in charge of all the weird people that inevitably show up at yard sales.

With each price tag affixed to an item, I am reminded that it is not just our family that God is growing, but His Kingdom.  This is what God does.  He uses people to love one another.  He sets the lonely in families.  He does not leave us as orphans, but adopts us into the largest, loudest, most loving family in the world.

We are grateful.

Clearly, there is room for one more kiddo in this sleepover bed.  And to top it all off, when Grace requested Henry sing to her, he broke out with the following song, "My Charlie lies over the ocean, My Charlie lies over the sea..." and then Gracie joined in to finish it up:
"Bring back, bring back, oh bring back my Charlie to me, to me!"

Thanks for your continued prayers

I cannot express to you how much y'all's emails, texts, and FB messages have meant to me.  To know that our boy is being prayed for around the clock.   This is good because the picture we have of him from over the weekend is just so sad to see.  His head has been shaved (typical in an orphanage to prevent lice), his clothes are filthy and falling off his body, and because they don't use diapers, his pants are split so the orphans can just relieve themselves whenever they need to unfettered.  He is still my precious boy, I just desperately want to cuddle him and let him know I have diapers and Oreos in my purse. 

I cannot post any pictures of Charlie.  But I can post a picture my buddy Laura posted on my FB wall.  J'adore.

In Memorium

My dear friend E went to be with Jesus last week.

Normally I roll my eyes when I read in obits that someone went "home to the Lord" or to "be with Jesus" or is "resting safely in Abraham's bosom."  (OK, the last one I also cringe because someone typed bosom. And apparently I'm twelve and think that's a funny word.  Bosom.)  But with E, it's just not right to say she merely died.  If you'd ever been blessed to meet E, you would know that despite the fact she was pushing 80, she was very much alive.  I just can't think of her as anything other than causing a ruckus while simultaneously bragging about God.  So hear me when I say that when I write E went to be with Jesus it is not a teary-eyed euphemism.  It is fact.  She is with Jesus.  And they are both probably laughing. 

E was one heck of a woman.  When I first met her 5 years ago in my bible study group, my first thought was "Oh, Gosh.  Who is this woman?"  I probably rolled my eyes as she pulled out a notecard of all the people she was praying for.  She was loud.  A yankee.  Italian.  Catholic.  But the more I grew to know and love her, I found myself asking, "Oh?  Gosh!  Who.is.this.woman?" 

When I grow up, I want to be like E.  She was more than a tad irreverent.  She was forever surrounding herself with those in need, sharing the wisdom God gave her through her struggles of parenting a child with brain injuries.  She prayed me through infertility.  She prayed us through the adoption of our daughter whom she claimed as her own.  Her sweet Grace.  Her pretty Grace.  She loved intensely.  She talked about her husband of 60 years like a high school girl in love with the prom king.  The vulnerability, humor, and grace with which she parented B has emboldened me to pursue a special needs adoption.  E taught me I don’t need a halo to love someone the world deems unloveable—I just need Jesus.  And maybe a glass of wine.  (Or three.)



So my beloved E, you will be missed on this side of heaven.  I look forward to sharing eternity with you.  In the mean time, please love on our Charlie.  Protect him and cuddle him and tell him we are on our way.

My Friend Tracy is Awesome...Really Awesome

Remember my awesome friend Tracy who guest posted awhile ago?  I wanted to follow up with an update regarding the abundance of generosity shown by her and many others.

This past Sunday, about a dozen of my friends came over for some bubbly and snacks and for some sweet time together for my 31 Party and Adoption Fundraiser.  I shared a bit about our adoption process, the huge need for adoption of special needs little boys in China, the associated costs and also fielded general questions about orphan care and adoption.  Then my friend Tracy, the 31 consultant who is also a Foster mom, did her schpeal.  

We had a blast.  We learned which friend of mine you should go to if ever you need a tampon because she basically stores them in a 31 duffle bag in her car.  Every single bag we looked at, she remarked, “Ooooh, that’d be great for tampons.”  Never mind it was a rolling suitcase.  This is why I love her and am determined to get to know her better.  I mean, sense the surgery and all, that hasn’t really been a need of mine (can I get an AMEN!), but I just love someone who can talk about “ladytown” at the drop of a hat.  (Ladytown being another term we learned at the party…)

Anywhoozie, the party was a big success!  Between the folks who ordered online and came to the party, it was Tracy’s BIGGEST PARTY EVER.  She sold over $1400 worth of purses, coolers, stationary, and luggage.  I earned close to $300 worth of free bags which I will get to auction off for The Plum Panda. WOOT!  (So if you missed the sale, you may be able to score something cute for less than retail!  I ordered some of the best sellers for my freebies.  So make sure to like The Plum Panda on Facebook and check for updates to the Plum Panda Blog in the coming weeks.)  

Additionally, Tracy donated to our adoption fund 100% of her commission.  100%.  She did all this work and prep simply because she loves me, our family, and our little Charlie.  How much did we raise?  

DRUM ROLL PLEASE…….

$365.

Folks, that’s a lot of money.  17 people in 2 states bought items to help us bring our boy home.  I am overwhelmed at the generosity of people.  (So if you live in the Richmond area, I’d love it if you would consider hosting a 31 party for her where she can actually make some money.) 

Additionally, I set up my Plum Panda goods and sold a picture frame, a necklace, ALL of my hair clippies, and have a couple special orders already placed.  At the end of the day, between Plum Panda and Tracy’s generosity, our adoption fund just grew by about $550.

My friends are awesome.  God is awesome.  And He is doing something pretty incredible right here before my eyes.  Thank you to everyone who contributed.  It will be such a treat to one day share with my son all the folks whom God used to bring him to us.  They say it takes a village to raise a child.  Sometimes, it takes a village to give a child a family.

Guest Blogger: Rockstar Tracy Scoggins!

A friend of mine emailed me this last night and requested to be a guest blogger.  I read it, it made me cry, and now I'm posting it.   Tracy says that we rock her world.  Dear readers, know that the feeling is mutual.  Tracy is awesome.  I've been friends with her for close to a decade and she has pretty much been a part of praying into my life every big blessing I have:  Sloan, Henry, Gracie, and now P3.

Dear friends and Family of Elizabeth (and Sloan),

This blog posting might not be as entertaining as usual, because it wasn’t written by EJ.  I merely asked E to post this, for the hundreds, no thousands (millions?) of blog followers she has.

This is Tracy Scoggins, and the Phillips family rocks my world.  Their heart for orphans and their obedience to God’s call (see James 1:27) has really challenged me.  I too have a heart for orphans, and I want to do all that I can to support what they have taken on…international adoption of a child with special needs.  Gulp.  In addition to the next  18 years of expenses, there is a bunch required up front.  We’re talking many thousands of dollars.  MANY.  Think “2 brand new cars” (and on that note- they need a new van, but I digress…)

I am an independent Consultant with Thirty-One gifts, and I am asking you to join me in a fundraiser for the Phillips family.  All you need to do is shop.  I know what you’re thinking… “Now THAT is a fundraiser I can get on board with!”  Think about gifts that you’ll be buying in the coming months anyways, and then consider shopping now, for a great cause.

I will donate 100% of my commission to the Phillips Family Adoption fund, which equals 25% of all sales.  

All you need to do is go to my website, click on “place an order”, and then look for “Adoption Fundraiser for the Phillips family” and click “shop now” http://www.mythirtyone.com/tscoggins/

 

The fundraiser will run from now until January 13^th.  The customer special displayed on the home page will be the same the entire time.  Those thermal totes make great teacher appreciation day gifts, and they can be personalized!

Important notes:

IF YOU DO NOT LIVE IN THE RICHMOND AREA AND/OR DO NOT SEE ELIZABETH ON A REGULAR BASIS, PLEASE UNCHECK THE “SHIP TO HOST” BOX, AND OPT FOR DIRECT SHIPPING!

Most items can be personalized, for a flat fee of $7.  I just bought a Cindy Tote that says “adopted” (it’s a conversation starter, to allow me to share about how God adopted me and how I believe that every child deserves a loving family).

If you need a catalog or help with something, feel free to call or email (info is on my website).

Thank you so much for PARTNERING with the Phillips family as they take on this really exciting challenge!!!  

So happy and honored to be a part of this,

Tracy Scoggins

From the Request Line: This One goes Out to A

A friend and I were chatting on FB the other night about our disdain for laundry.  The conversation went something like this:  (ok, not something like…as in copied and pasted exactly like this):

A: Can you do me a favor? Can you write a super-tastic blog entry about doing laundry that will make me feel inspired, make me cry and laugh simultaneously, show me the gospel, and help me in general with that dreaded task? Top of Form

Thanks in advance ;)

Me: A. Clearly, you've missed the whole "I hate laundry" theme on the blog.
B. Have I mentioned how much I hate laundry?
C. I'll see what I can do.
D. By the way, what I hate most about laundry is the doing it.
E. I also hate putting it away. It's like the baskets full of clean, folded laundry just taunt me. Laughing, in their sweaters, saying. "You can't finish anything."

A:  A. I must be behind in my reading.

B. I haven’t heard that recently.

C. Thanks

D. giggle

E. Great big DITTO...this is where I'd like you to focus, the putting it away effort. Thanks again.

Around an hour and a half later, my friend got really sick.  Like “put you in the hospital and life is going to look drastically different for a good long while and possibly forever” sick.  

And because I’m a good friend, I sent her the following text yesterday afternoon, “So, you’re probably not so worried about your laundry now are you, huh?”

She called me back within seconds, laughing.  (Because she’s awesome like that.)  I told her, “So, to tell you how you being in the hospital is really all about me, it inspired me to put away three baskets of laundry.”  I know, you all wish I could be there for you in your darkest moments.

Thankfully, as I’ve mentioned before, my Bible Study group is studying Genesis.  (To give you some context, I've been in A's group since struggling with infertility.  I then co-lead the group with A for 3 years, before stepping down from leadership.  A still leads the group.)  And the morning before dreadful thing happened to A, we were studying the effects of the Fall.  The curse and Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the garden so that they couldn’t eat from the tree of Life in their fallen states.  

And so for you, my darling A who has pointed me to Jesus for so long, here is your Gospel according to my laundry basket moment:  Doing the laundry stinks.  

I could write about how we should all just but on our big girl panties and shut up and do the laundry without complaining.  I could remind you about how there are people who have to take their laundry to a Laundromat somewhere else and that’s gotta be a bigger pain in the butt than just seeing all that clean laundry piled up on your couch waiting to be folded.  And I could tell you that in terms of world problems, our mutual hatred of putting away the clean laundry ranks along par with “I’ve run out of Capri Suns and I’m too lazy to go to the store” and “my toddler only wants to eat cookies”.  And I could remind you of the simple truth that if you have laundry to do that means you have clothes.  And that if your laundry is sitting in baskets at the bottom of your stairs just waiting to be taken up and stared at for three days until you finally get around to putting it away, then that means you have a home and some people don’t.  And all of those kids who keep changing clothes 14 times a day?  Yeah, there are folks who ache to have that problem.  And there are kids who wish they had parents to clean their adorable teeny tiny socks.  And all of those things are true.

But what is also true is this:  sin affects EVERYTHING.  In Genesis 3, when God explains the consequences of the lie Adam and Eve believed, it basically tells us that we will not be in right relationship with our own bodies, with our families, with our work, with our identity, with all of creation.  There is no escaping it.  And we can couch all our attempts to escape the effects of the fall in Spiritual terms, and we should most certainly work towards bringing God’s image to bear in the midst of all the brokenness, but we can’t return to the garden.  We can’t use our faith to bypass the suffering surrounding us.  Our study’s notes say “We do not escape the suffering of the world by living a good life.  To believe this is to live with unbelievable pride and pressure.”  Pride and pressure that sometimes cascade off our couch and onto the family room floor. 

But here is another truth for you, dear laundry hater:  Jesus didn’t try to bypass the suffering.  Instead, he left the throne of heaven to enter into our suffering. And he didn’t just flip death off, he defeated it.

To speak of sin apart from the realities of creation and grace is to forget the resolve of God.  God wants shalom and will pay any price to get it back.  Human sin is stubborn, but not as stubborn as the grace of God and not half so persistent, not half so ready to suffer to win its way.”

-Cornelius Plantinga, Not The Way It’s Supposed to Be

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