Clothespins and Commitments

Musings Over Clothespins

Mother produced a plastic bag with the several individual wooden clamps separated from the coil springs of a typical clothespin. Since we continue to use a clothesline in the backyard for drying laundry, these coil spring clothespins needed to be reassembled.

I relish mindless tasks. Since I had a few minutes between writing jobs, I sat down with the dismembered clothespins. I began matching the wooden clamps as closely as I could. The next step required a bit more manual dexterity as I used the spring coil to join the wooden clamps.

Maybe I was thinking about which direction to go for the blog posting before Valentine’s Day. I had planned a family history story but had been unable to locate the picture I thought we had. Perhaps my mind was considering fleetingly a posting about the holiday of February set aside to celebrate love and commitment. With those thoughts in mind, I began the clothespin reunification process.

As I picked up a couple of wooden clamps, I gazed at them and thought There are some differences in these two clamps. One of the wooden clamps had a chunk out of its top. Both wooden clamps had some discolorations and wear and tear especially on the inside. 

With pins in hand, my reflections commenced. People enter relationships with inner hurts, whether due to a barely perceptible rejection, an outright rebuff, or debilitating self-deprecation. Sometimes as humans, over time, we get over the rejections and rebuffs in our past a little easier.

Often self-deprecation is another story. As I thought of harmful self-criticism, a portion of Revelation 12:10 came to mind,

For the accuser of our [believing] brothers and sisters

has been thrown down [at last], he who accuses them and keeps bringing charges [of sinful behavior] against them before our God day and night.

What a wonderful prophetic promise to believers in Jesus! Satan will be thrown down so he will no more be able to torment us with his groundless accusations. 
         Paul told us that we can live in victory each day when we meditate on the principle he recorded in Colossians 2:14, as it appears in The Message, a modern translation,

Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean,

that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s cross.

Based on the two passages above, those of us who know we have sought forgiveness from Jesus, can identify shame as a glaring onslaught of Satan. As he characteristically does, Satan casts doubt on what God says and does. When we “bite” on Satan’s attempt to shame us, we “buy into” his denial of God’s forgiveness and ultimately, fail to take God at His Word.

Marriage joins two flawed people by a commitment. Jesus identifies God as the joiner of the two when He said, “What God has joined together, let not man separate.”  The spring coil represents the commitment vowed before God. The promise to uphold God’s design unites a husband and wife just as the spring coil joins two wooded clamps. Only the Heavenly Father can take a flawed man and a flawed woman, put them together, with the bond of marital commitment. 

The bond of marriage will present times of constraint, the stress of staying within the commitment. Think about when the clothespin is used for its designed purpose  - the wooden clamps have more stress placed upon them both. Hanging up a dainty dishtowel doesn’t apply as much stress, but securing a heavy wet blanket, just removed from the washing machine, stretches the little wooden clothespin to its maximum. In this same way, marriages will be pushed to the ultimate level of commitment during times of tragedy, loss, critical illness, and crisis. Only the couple’s commitment to submit to God and each other to work together will enable the two to successfully navigate the season of adversity.

Finally, some of my dearest friends have said “good-bye” to the man to whom they were married for over 50 years. They have suddenly found that “flawed other clamp” ripped apart from them. What message is available for these grieving women? God aligns Himself as the perfect wooden clamp and holds the widow close to Himself. 

Here are three verses of comfort and promise:

…Protector of widows is God in His holy habitation. Psalm 68:5

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

For your Maker is your husband – the LORD Almighty is His name – the Holy One of Israel is Your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth. Isaiah 54:5

        Lord, thank You for Your mystically beautiful plan for marital relationships. Please enable us as Your followers to actively promote lifelong bonds that please You and further Your powerful influence in our world.