What is it with socks in the laundry?
They go in a pair and come out a single! With 12 feet in our household we have lots of socks. The concept seems pretty simple though. You put the dirty socks in the laundry and clean socks come out in the dryer. Somehow it seems only one makes it through the process.
Who knows where the other sock ends up; someone suggested they turn into tupperware! I agree because there is always a ton of tupperware ready to come flying out of the top cabinet and hit me in the face and scatter all over the floor.
We made the monuments decision to throw away all the accumulated socks. We started laundry again and in less than a month we already have a bunch of single socks again.
While I have been trying to deal with keeping socks a pair, I celebrated my 15th anniversary. I think a lot about marriage. My own marriage most and then trying to help and encourage other people’s marriages.
You may think I am weird, but I think marriage is like a pair of socks going into the laundry. You start out as a pair when married, but then the world hits you. It throws you around, intermingles you with all kinds of other people, throws cold water in your face and puts intense pressure like heat on you. In short, the world does everything to pull you apart and divide you. Satan uses all of his devises to split you up!!
As I reflected on my 15 years with Amanda I realized that we are closer now than ever. But it is because of our intense desire to stay together–I don’t just mean stay married, I mean stay connected emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Thanks in large part to her passion for close friendship relationship we are tight.
But marriage is a lot like socks going into the laundry. The natural pull is for you to be separated–to grow distant, aloof, involved in personal pursuits, and frustrated with the other.
The only way you can stay together is through intentionally working on it everyday. Waking up and thinking: How can I serve? How can I win their heart? What is going on in their world? When can we be together and just talk?
Hummm, I guess this is what God meant when he said a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave [be joined, glued, bonded] to his wife and become one flesh. (Gen. 2:24)
BTW – Thanks Amanda for clinging to me for the last 15 years. I look forward to many more! I love you!
