Here\u2019s a question that might spark more debate than politics at the dinner table: \u201cWhen loading the dishwasher, do the utensils go handle side up or down?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve always voted to say \u201chandles up\u201d — it just feels safer, especially when there\u2019s a rogue steak knife involved. But then I pull out a spoon and — what\u2019s this? Dried cereal is still stuck like concrete. So much for efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that\u2019s when it hit me: maybe I am that dirty spoon. Stuck in the wrong direction. Needing a deep clean and a right-side-up reset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You see, life — like dishwashers — works better when things are rightly ordered. Our souls, our bodies, our minds — all need to be placed in the proper position to receive what God has for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Otherwise, we\u2019re just going through the motions, checking boxes, and numbing out with another to-do list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But God didn\u2019t create us for the rinse cycle. He created us for abundance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus said, \u201cI came that they may have life and have it abundantly.\u201d (John 10:10)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Are we thriving? Or are we striving? Striving leads to exhaustion. Thriving flows from surrender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus gave us the secret:
\u201cSeek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.\u201d (Matthew 6:33)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we start with Him — really start with Him — peace comes. Priorities fall into place. That impossible list? He\u2019ll handle it. That decision you can\u2019t make? He\u2019s already ahead of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And when we forget (and we will), He doesn\u2019t scold us like a frustrated dishwasher technician. No, He whispers, \u201cI have loved you with an everlasting love.\u201d (Jeremiah 31:3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, whether you\u2019re a handle-up or handle-down kind of soul, know this: God\u2019s love does the cleaning. His grace does heavy lifting. Just show up, be willing, and seek Him first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even a dirty spoon finds its shine again. And for us — God\u2019s love still washes us clean. Seek Him first — and let Him do the rearranging.
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Here\u2019s a question that might spark more debate than politics at the dinner table: \u201cWhen loading the dishwasher, do the utensils go handle side up or down?\u201d I\u2019ve always voted to say \u201chandles up\u201d — it just feels safer, especially when there\u2019s a rogue steak knife involved. But then I pull out a spoon and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[143,1210,1769,8524,32072,40,159,32070,2937,1261,9424,32071],"class_list":["post-22402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-abundant-life","tag-blog","tag-christian","tag-dishwasher","tag-handles-up","tag-inspiration","tag-john-1010","tag-loading-the-dishwasher","tag-striving","tag-theology","tag-thriving","tag-utensils"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22402"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22402\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22405,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22402\/revisions\/22405"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}