simar@tds.net

I hate it when my washing machine spins out of balance.  The clunk,
clunk of wet jeans slung to one side of the metal tub, the banging of the washer
against the dryer.  I’ve trained myself to rush into the laundry room
at the first hint of trouble and redistribute the load.  My mother once warned
me that out-of-balance washing machines self-destruct if left unattended.
While I don’t know exactly how this might happen, the clunk-clunk tells
me it can’t be good.

Yesterday, I was surprised to find my bread machine upside down on the
kitchen floor with the dough spewed across the tile, the machine
unplugged (thankfully) by its swan dive over the lip of the counter.  There were
no warning labels on the bread machine telling me to watch for imbalance,
nothing to hint this might happen.  We examined the machine and found
one rubber pad missing from its base.  When the machine started kneading
the heavy dough, this slight imbalance allowed it to spin over the edge.

I read a tract once that describes life as a three-legged-stool.
Unfortunately, mine has sprouted more than three legs.  It’s important
to keep spiritually strong by daily Bible reading and prayer, physically
strong with regular exercise and a healthy diet, emotionally strong by
balancing work and family, intellectually challenged by continual learning and
developing gifts and talents, and finally allowing time for fun and
recreation.  Problems result when one of these areas is neglected.

I’ve learned to load the heaviest clothes into my washing machine. 
First go the dirty jeans and then the socks and colored T-shirts.  There seems
to be more stability if I do it this way. At least fewer dashes to the
laundry room to redistribute the load. In the same way, my life runs smoother
if I start my day with prayer and Bible reading.  It’s the biggest thing in
my life and stabilizes the rest of my day.

I’m learning to keep an eye out for imbalances in my life, to double
check those little rubber pads that keep me level headed and out of trouble. 
It seems I can get by with an imbalance for a little while but then...the
unexpected crash.

How about you?  Is your life in balance?

Copyright Candace Simar