Lint and Duct Tape Pt. 2

In Lint and Duct Tape Pt. 1 we discovered the difference between sister, Lucy a 12 year old techie tomboy with mechanical tendencies and her 13 year old brother who loved nature and anything to do with food.  This brother and sister lived with their paternal grandparents Daddy Sam (the mechanic) and Gram who cooked so good that people literally placed orders with her months in advance near the Holidays for her specialties (e.g. gumbo, fried turkey, black eyed peas, mac and cheese, dressing and her biscuits so delectable they seemed to melt in your mouth).  Gram wanted the children to be well rounded and self-sufficient domestically so she gave them chores that were age appropriate as they got older. 

Lucy did not have the makings of a domestic but Gram insisted that she learn the basics of cooking, cleaning and gardening regardless of how she felt about it and true to form, she utilized technology to assist with her learning curve (e.g. You Tube, Pinterest, etc.).  She cleaned like the best of them and truth be told she could cook pretty well too, even at 12 years old.  Roman tinkered a little with Daddy Sam in the garage on some projects but his passion was food: growing, canning, cooking and even creating his own recipes which meant he spent more time in the garden and kitchen and he was Gram’s number one helper around the holidays. 

We ended the blog with Lucy struggling due to her self-inflicted challenges with lint

because she wasn’t paying attention when she loaded the dryer.  None of us want to admit it publicly but we can identify with her pain.  The new task of laundry, however, was definitely a sore spot for her, especially with the last fiasco of ruining Daddy Sam’s socks and that’s where we will pick up.

After Lucy got past the fact that she had lost to the lint that made Daddy Sam’s socks look like black socks with polka dots -- 3D-- she knew it was time to make some decisions.  As an analytical thinker she considered the challenges she had experienced with laundry and discovered that she needed to do the following:  slow down; pay attention; read care labels; ensure clothes are sorted appropriately; and check the washer and dryer for remaining items before loading.  But one of the most critical decisions she made was that lint was her enemy.  She was convinced it served no good purpose and given that it was her enemy she was intent on learning everything she could about it (lint).  She discovered there are varieties of lint:

• Lint can be made up of short fibers, hair--human and animal, skin cells, plant fibers, pollen, dust, and microorganisms.  Lint is composed of threads of all colors, which blend hues and may appear to be a uniform grey; 
• Dryer lint is generated by the drying of clothes in a clothes dryer; it typically accumulates on a dryer screen which should be cleaned after every cycle for safety and energy efficiency;
•  Navel lint (also known by names such as navel fluff, belly button lint, belly button fluff, and dip lint) is an accumulation of fluffy fibers in the navel cavity. The reasons for its accumulation in the navel are a subject of speculation. One train of thought is that rubbing of navel hairs and clothing contributes to a build-up of static electricity, resulting in the collection of clothing fibers and to a lesser extent, dead skin cell; 
•  Pocket lint is debris including bits of fabric as well as small shreds of paper and tissue that are often found in pockets. It may be caused by running the clothing through a washing machine one or more times, causing the pocket lining or contents to compact and shred.

The discovery of naval lint was puzzling to her but it also made her appreciate her nightly baths and Gram’s insistence that she clean: her ears, nose, between her toes, derriere and naval for as long as she could remember.  While she had never personally discovered any naval lint she imagined that Gram must know about it since that was one of the areas she told her and Roman to clean.  “I wonder if Roman knows what naval lint is” she thought to herself, but Lucy quickly dismissed the thought because she was fascinated with the fact that pocket lint was a topic of discussion that could be researched.   She had another aha moment about Gram: for years she warned them about removing items from their pockets and turning them inside out before washing or placing in the hamper.  But she never really understood why until now.  In hindsight she recalled reaching in her pocket and digging around for loose change only to retrieve lint under her nails along with the change she was looking for and it absolutely grossed her out.  At the age of 12-1/2 Lucy decided that lint in her pockets was no longer an option and from that moment on made a decision she would take extra care to follow Gram’s advice of emptying her pockets and turning them inside out.  In her young mind, lint represented a careless haphazard life and she wanted no part of either of those things. 

Let me make one more point about Lucy and then I will cut to the chase.  Apparently she and Gram are not the only ones that are irritated with lint.  As she continued her research she discovered she was in error.  Lint does serve a purpose, it affords those witty enough to capitalize on the loose fibers, hair and skin sell accumulations by creating lint free products (e.g. wipes, cleaning cloths, nail art, towels, eye patches, sponge makeup applicators, clean-room gloves, cleaning swabs, etc.) which will ensure that they never have lint in their pockets.  What am I talking about?  Where am I going with this crazy blog?  

OK, Tania, really.  What is the point?  Oh my goodness, I am so glad you asked.  We’re finally at the twist in the blog.  I know I went around the corner, Skated on Top of the Hill and Walked on Rocks to finally get here but it was worth it to demonstrate how many of us live with lint in our pockets (including me) and we have accepted it as a way of life.  As for me, I’m sick of all the lint.   

What?  You still don’t get it.  I’m saying that I’m sick of debt.  It reminds me of lint.  It serves no purpose, at least not for me.  Oh, snap, it’s just like lint: it has afforded those who are witty enough to capitalize on those of us who have lived loose lives, by the way we manage the resources God allows us to steward (be responsible for).   Many of us are just like Lucy when it comes down to laundry: careless; we don’t pay attention; we manage our resources haphazardly and then we’re surprised at the results. Overwhelmed like Lucy, we get duct tape to remove the lint, I mean debt, only to discover we’ve created a bigger mess with the cockamamie plans we use to try to correct the problem.  For example:  embezzling money from treasures we manage (that’s called stealing); cheating on our taxes; trying to find a hook up for this that and the third, borrowing money to live lifestyles we cannot afford for appearances; robbing Peter to pay Paul; paying the minimum on credit cards/revolving accounts; opening accounts in our minor children’s names because our credit is ruined so why not ruin theirs; creating debt without considering the true cost.

John 14:28-32 (NLT):  But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’   “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. 

I’m not done, but I’m out of time, we’ll pick it up again later.  In the meantime, you may want to clean your pockets out so you can get ready for the overflow. 

Because of his underserving Favor

Tania Not Tanya