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I needed to do a couple loads of laundry tonight, so I was a little disappointed when I went downstairs and found some laundry sort of “in process”. (Note: our 7 year old does most of our laundry, and usually pretty well. But, well… he’s seven. Nuff said.) For some reason this time he had left a small load of partially dried clothes in the dryer. Very strange.
As I was inspecting the scene, I noticed that we also were out of dryer sheets. I checked with Jen and sure enough, there were no more. Not too bad… clothes just wouldn’t smell quite as nice.
I went back upstairs to do a couple more things then went down to get the now fully dried load from the dryer and move the one I just washed into the dryer when…
I saw a dryer sheet. Right there on the ground in front of the dryer!
My first thought was, “Wow! Neat. A dryer sheet!” My second thought was, “Whoa. Wonder if God put that there? It wasn’t there before…” My third thought was, “Does God give you dryer sheets?” 🙂
Those are my thoughts. Not sure if the tiny piece of scented cloth was divinely placed but… I’m grateful.
And I’ll be smelling a little better, too.
And Christians (not necessarily you Greg, but…) seem to think that Agnostics'/faithless' worlds are so random, floating, directionless.
It just seems so strange/illogical to me for you to by chance notice a dryer sheet you didn't before (either because you didn't see it or it actually wasn't there) and your first instinct be to wonder if it was divine dryer sheet intervention.
I can't help but think how helpless it must feel to think so much is controlled by an unseen force. I can see how it might be comforting at times – "God's in control and He loves me (unless you read the OT where He seemed to smite rather than love most folks), so why worry?" – but the helplessness would be overwhelming.
-heent
Heent! How's big sky country? Do you have a phone # yet? Email it to me… would love to chat.
Re: divine deliverance of dryer sheets… feeling a tad mmmgreesive after your move? Your comment was intriguingly provocative 🙂 I shall not bite. I was merely stating the thoughts from my head, not the absolute truth of them.
It's alright if we see dryer sheets differently… 🙂
Greg!
Doing well out here, thanks!
I guess I always feel a little defensive/reactive toward Christian or any "faith in supernatural power" religion's ideal/s, since they fall outside of the the few (if any?) "I'm ok, you're ok" religions. Oppositely, Christians propose an "I'm ok, you're wrong and going to hell if you don't share my beliefs" dogma.
But, you could be right…as I'm escaping a fringe of the Bible Belt and a boss who infused way too much of his faith (among other things) into the office environment for my tastes. So, maybe I was a little mmmgreesive with you, sorry. But honestly, your dryer sheet made me wonder how it would make me feel to have my beliefs evolve to a point that I wonder the origins of an appearing dryer sheet.
-heent
Fair enough, and I do (almost?) completely understand. (Cite my recent declaration of hatred toward religion.)
I really think it's just a perspective thing. I wasn't saying that I know for a fact that God put that there (in fact, it was more of a rhetorical question, I guess) … but the reason it comes to mind is that as I get to know him more (through watching how he lived among us in Jesus, and through personal interaction now) it is something that very well could be (that he'd place that there, just to bring some encouragement when I was feeling tired and worn out.)
(Just thought of two sections of the Bible that would be similar stories … he had birds bring food to Elijah (1 Kings 17) and when Jesus said to come to him when you're weary and burdened (Matt 11:28-30) … so it is like him, even if I don't know for sure that that very dryer sheet was "from" him 🙂
Glad you've left the Bible belt. Hope you get to deal with some genuine people who don't have any agenda for you or other people around them. Life is a little nicer that way… 🙂