Prodigal Sock

 

The sock which was lost is now found. Time to wear the fatted shoe. Last Saturday, I had an enormous amount of laundry to do. I have enough garments to go several weeks without doing laundry. Thus, I wait several weeks. Laundry time always rises to the amount of clothes available.  

As I have written about before, Saturday is my To-Do Day. Almost everything household related like cooking the week's meat, bills, making my magical E-8 drink in the Vitamix, and chores, are Saturday. I am even trying to blog on Saturdays as I have time. I generally sleep in to around  5 AM on the weekends. Frankly, I often can't wait to drink coffee. So, I can't wait to get up and get the day brewing. I tell people on the day I die it will be after I have had my coffee.

I would like to get my final lift for the week done on Saturday but I still do that on Sunday morning.  I find lifting weights relaxing and it is good way to take the edge off the caffeine. My rest day for working out is Saturday. Since I am busy and doing tasks, the caffeine dissipates. Calvin liked to bowl on Sunday so I am in good company with recreating. Exercise is re-creating to me. I feel chill and relaxed afterwards.

When I do laundry, I typically tie my socks together at the top before throwing them in the washing machine. That way they stay together, like the buddy system.  But, the sock that went to the far country is one of those short synthetic socks that barely pass the ankle if that. No material to tie as the foot part of the sock has to dangle freely in order to be washed fully. These are the socks I wear under my dress socks to whisk away moisture and keep my always hot feet from being sweaty. So, by the end of the week, if not sooner, they reek. 

When I went to put the laundry away, I couldn't find the sock. I did a once over all of my laundry and couldn't locate it. I was a tad frustrated and thought of tearing through the put away laundry again.  But, then I thought, "It is a stupid sock." I figured it would turn up.  I already had another pair so I was in no sock emergency. So, I put the orphaned and alone other sock into a box until its buddy came back after its  riotous living. Then, I decided to order four pair more from Amazon. Just double-double down and put the missing sock out my mind.  

It got me reflecting how easy it is to replace things quickly and cheaply. Jesus's stories about the lost coin or lost sheep were premised on the reality that these things were scarce and hard to come by. It was worth looking for something lost because it could not be replaced easily. What we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly, as Thomas Paine wrote, Dearness gives things value. Now, it is just a click on my smartphone and it appears on doorstep two days later. Like magic, Do I appreciate things less? For sure. Although, I am old enough to recall the inefficiencies of analogue shopping. Hit or miss. 

The prodigal sock, the Shawshank sock, came back to the Father today. It was gripping onto a synthetic materials boxer, one that also whisks away sweat that I wear when working out or when it is a hot summers day. I think the sock saw the similar materials boxer as a brother. It wasn't Red like in Shawshank. It was green. 

Losing and gaining it again is a hard grace. A grace we take for granted unless we have lost it.