A Clean Space

I hate washing dishes.  I mean, there aren't many people who really like washing dishes, unless you are like my friend Olivia.  Olivia shared the apartment with me for almost two years.  She loves to clean, so much so we would all joke about it.  She also liked to wake up really early, so by the time I woke up and stumbled to the kitchen, the dishes were done, masterfully stacked like some magical tower in the drying rack.  I never knew which dish to take first to put away, with one false move sending the whole lot crashing down onto the counter.  But Olivia has since moved away.

In the States where hot water is constant, one can just wash dishes as they use them, although I never did.  I am one of those people who lets the dishes accumulate a small bit before washing the lot.  Here, we have to turn the hot water tank on just before we want the hot water, so we have to be more intentional about how we use that energy.  This suits me fine and gives me an excuse to leave the dishes for a couple days before the soapy attack.  I am only one person though so it isn't like I have loads to do anyway.

Sitting on the couch, the notion of getting up to do the dishes seems horrible, but my kitchen and living room are together so I can't avoid the mess.  I reluctantly give in, but in actuality, I find that it is in that process, standing with my back to the world,   I find space to really connect with God.  

It is just me in the house.  The water gushes and breaks the silence.  I start with the suds and pray out loud.  I get in rhythm of washing and the tunes come up from inside me, singing loudly from the heart as I stack the soapy dishes to the side.  Draining the sink and scrubbing the silverware piece by piece, I feel calm and pray softly, sometimes without words.  Then I turn on the hot water and I begin to pull each dish through its steamy flow.  I listen for His voice.  I wash the sink, wipe down the counters and the stove.  I breathe.  I have found rest in His presence.

Truth be told, the times I feel most connected with God are when I break away and go out into nature, when I am driving highway miles on wide stretches of road, and when I can tuck into a corner nook at a moody coffee shop.  These are my favorite things to do and God always meets me.  I guess I never realized how much I love my time with Him when I wash dishes too.