That is the end of a busy process. Before washing, we check the laundry over for spots, and where possible we treat them beforehand. We add detergent, sometimes bleach, to lift dirt and brighten the laundry. Then it is agitated to ensure that our clothing becomes as clean as possible.
When the wash cycle is complete, the laundry is then rinsed with clean, clear water. Sometimes a fabric softener is added. Finally, when all those cycles are completed, it is hung on the line to dry in the sun and air.
Recently, as I was sitting on the deck reading, I watched my laundry drying in the sunny breeze. It was under pressure from the heat of the sun and blowing winds. As a result, I could see that some of the clothing would not need much ironing, if any.
So, how much like laundry are we? Do we have spots and wrinkles that need treatment and ironing? I am not speaking of spots on the face and arms, or wrinkles and “laugh lines” that come to rest around the eyes—although it would be nice to be rid of some of those! Rather, the spots and wrinkles I am thinking of are those that reside in our hearts and minds—the ones God sees, and which are visible to those around us at times. God treats these—and He irons them out. How does He do this?