… a long time ago, there was a monk named Brother Lawrence. You may have heard of him.
Here’s what I learned about him in seminary:
Brother Lawrence believed that even something like washing dishes, which was his task in the monastery, was prayer if it was intended toward the Divine.
There’s more to know about Brother Lawrence and you can read all about it in his book, The Practice of the Presence of God.
Today, he’s been on my mind for two reasons.
The first is water. Washing dishes takes water and we’ve been pretty short of that in Atlanta lately. And long on heat.
Not nearly as short on water as the rain forests burning in the Amazon.
All of which suggests, I suppose, that water can, indeed, be holy.
The other reason Brother Lawrence appeared in my memory is pictured above.
Paint brushes. Dirty ones, to be exact. Lots and lots of them.
There’s been a whole lot of painting going on around here this week. In fact, my paint buddies and I have gotten nearly every brush dirty. We’ve gotten the most popular ones dirty several times!
And so, I have been washing brushes.
I’ve tried to do it with consciousness and intention, and the Castile soap that works without eating my hands.
Tried is, perhaps, the operative word in that sentence.
Honestly, my mind keeps wandering to the bits and pieces from Container Store we’ll need for rearranging some closets at our house. (There’s a sale!) I’m trying for a greater feeling of spaciousness, some more welcoming guest space, and a better place to photograph my art, all without any actual increase in square feet.
The work starts on Friday. Bill is not disappointed that he will be at Dragon Con that day!
My job is making the plan and being sure that all the parts are present and accounted for.
My friend Greg is in charge of ladders and drills.
The chat people on Container Store’s website are my new geniuses-on-demand. (Though why they stopped making all the old lengths of shelves and hanging rods is a total mystery to me!)
Fortunately, we have quite the stash in the basement which will be a huge help in terms of investment.
I did get distracted for a bit, watching the miracle of rain falling on my garden, where the grapes are getting ripe.
For now, one more batch of brushes to wash, with actual gratitude for the powerful process that gets them dirty in the first place.
And some soup to heat, which will inevitably create dishes to wash, as well.
You know, I’m glad Brother Lawrence appeared from the depths of my inner library today. He’s a great reminder that consciousness and intention change lots of things!
Huge gratitude to those who purchased art during my promotion for Grandmothers Against Gun Violence. With your help, I’ll be sending the donation today! (I suspect Brother Lawrence would be grateful, too!)