WRINKLES By Marion Smith

I was ironing my husband’s shirts the other day, a chore that is not glamorous nor one which I seek with great anticipation. It is one, however, I do with love, for him. He does not care for the finish which comes on shirts taken to the laundry , so I spend a little time each week ironing. If I sprinkle the shirts, roll them up and place them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator overnight, they press very well. But if I am lazy, and just use the steam iron, the result is not quite as satisfactory.

I thought about my life, and how I have tried to iron out problems that have cropped up over the years. I thought about the way I like to have a plan- ironing out any foreseeable wrinkle that may appear. I thought about grief I have experienced, and how unable I was to iron out the deep creases of sadness they left in my heart. I remembered my many moments of fear- for my family and myself, and how I was unable to iron out fear from entering my mind.

There is a master iron-er, however, who never leaves creases of fear, grief, problems or preplanning in our lives. He can iron out every one of them to perfection, and He steps up to the job with a smile on His face. He picks up His iron of love and begins to work on the wrinkles of our lives. He does so with great compassion, as His love strokes go back and forth across the material of our lives. His name is Jesus, and He is not content to just give us the “steam iron” treatment. He will work us out into perfection, for it says in the Bible that “ he who has begun a good work in you will not quit till the day of completion.” He just keeps ironing and ironing- working those wrinkles of helpless and hopelessness out of our lives.

I am thankful I have turned my wrinkled self over to Him---for I know he can get the job done…and done perfectly!

Marion Smith noles65@aol.com
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