“What’s a Dishcloth?”
Grace Andrews of Independence, MO, USA
Do not yearn for times that are past, but recognize that you have been given a foundation of faithful service, even as you build a foundation for what is yet to be. -Doctrine and Covenants 162:2b
I brought simple crochet directions for a dishcloth to a beginning crochet class made up of fourth graders in a local school. Their small hands struggled with the basic learning they had acquired, using proper finger placement and techniques. One girl seemed to progress along quite well for a few minutes, then she suddenly stopped, looked at me, and inquired, “So, what do you do with a dishcloth?” I was taken aback momentarily, but I recovered quickly and asked if her mother used some sort of rag or other item to clean dishes off or wipe down counters. She looked puzzled and said, “No, we use paper towels.”
It is a changing world, and it’s difficult to come to the realization that many commonplace items and ideas which were so much a part of our lives are completely foreign to many of today’s young. Typewriters, shorthand, full-service gas stations, strap-on roller skates, cursive writing, wallpaper, chalkboards, wringer washers and clotheslines, pay phones, etc., seem to have quietly disappeared before our eyes.
Many of today’s modern conveniences and technology do make life much easier. Microwave ovens were unheard of when I was a child; the space age, TVs, indoor plumbing, the computer that I now use to create words and ideas, FaceTime (which connects family and friends visually through internet connections), streamlined travel with GPS, etc.
It seems to me this is a great metaphor for the church we know and love. We have been through many growing pains. In many cases, we have struggled to lay down the old and progress to the new. Our music has changed, but we have kept many beloved old hymns. The pump organ my grandmother played when I was a child is no longer used in our worship. Today, we gather in more comfortable settings, with new growth, new concepts, new music, and an awareness of becoming an accepting and inclusive body where all are welcome. I appreciate my heritage, but I am thrilled with the possibilities and potential of new growth needed to become a worldwide church.
Why dwell on “What’s a dishcloth???”
Prayer Phrase
“In God’s hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being” (Job 12:10).
Spiritual Practice
All That Lives
Sit quietly and sense God’s presence flowing through the trees and all creation. Offer a prayer of gratitude for your connection to all that lives. Ask for grace to discern and carry out one small act of justice or healing that creates greater wholeness for the plants, animals, trees, waters, air, and land that are part of the community of creation.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
