5 Lessons I’ve Learned From Dirty Dishes

It’s the same routine after every meal. I have to remind my daughter to bring her dishes to the counter, we load up the dishwasher, and maybe we can get two meals worth in there, but then run it. And empty it. Fill it, run it, empty it. Over and over.

Up until 3 years ago, we had not had a dishwasher, which meant we spent the first 12 years of our marriage without one. Our hands did the washing. Now granted, there are only 3 of us in our family, but after handwashing for several years, I do find that I learned more about dirty dishes than if I just repeated the dishwasher cycle each day of fill, run, empty.

Even in the mundane tasks of life, we can learn some pretty hefty heart lessons. Dirty dishes may seem never ending, which in a sense, hopefully it never is ending because of these 5 reasons:

Dirty dishes remind me that we have enough food.

When it is time to put our dirty dishes on the counter after a meal and there is barely room for one more plate, let it remind us that we have enough. When we have to grab food storage containers out of the cupboard to put our leftovers in, let it remind us that we have MORE than enough. Even though the sink or dishwasher may fill up fast, remember why it is.

Dirty dishes remind me that we ate a meal together.

Family dinners are becoming more and more sparse as the years go by. In a recent study done by Eckrich(R), a product of ConAgra Foods, they “found that 40 percent of American families eat dinner together only three or fewer times a week, with 10 percent never eating dinner together at all.” Just let that sink in a minute. Growing up, did you sit down with your family to eat? We ate every meal together. We had our designated spots and there was no question that we would eat together. Now, it’s a whole different ballgame. Literally. With the pull of society to be in every program that you can and to be on every traveling team, when you join one thing, you give up another. And in this case, it’s often family meals. Is it worth it? I know that for me, those dirty dishes are much more manageable when I know that we just spent the last 30 minutes together, talking about our days, and discussing things we otherwise wouldn’t have. It was time TOGETHER.

Dirty dishes remind me that others are going hungry.

When the task seems never-ending, we have to remember that there are those who do not even have a plate to eat of off. A pan to cook something in. Clean water to drink. When something is dirty, it means that it was used. Sounds so simple, but there those who do not have a dish to dirty up. Or hands that will get dirty. Or mouths that will have to be wiped off. Let that sink in. Next time you have dishes in the sink, remember those who maybe don’t.

Dirty dishes remind me that I have more than I need.

Along the same lines, when the dishes are piled high, may it remind us that we have more than we need. We may even have matching dishes. Ones that have bowls that go with the set. Enough dishes to go through 2 meals without having to do the dishes in between. Maybe even a set of smaller plates that the dessert can sit on. When the dishes feel overwhelming, remember that we often have more than we need.

Dirty dishes remind me that I can praise God even in the mundane.

While filling, running, and emptying the dishwasher, we can take that time to praise God. Even though kiddos might be asking question after question or asking where to put the plate in the dishwasher or sink, let it be a time to hum a song. To recall a verse about the truth about God. To pray and praise God for what He has given us! It will completely change our whole perspective.

As long as there is food, there will be dirty dishes. So what are we going to do with that unchangeable fact? Either we can choose to embrace the dirty, the messy, and the mundane, or we can choose to despise every dish and in the end, not realize what we’ve been truly given. Let those dirty dishes remind you of the blessings God has given us!