Going Down to the Creek

By Lynn Mosher –

Long before dry cleaners and spot removers, spin cycles and fabric softeners, clothes had to be washed by hand. When the dirt and grim of labor disguised the fabric’s true colors, and made it, um, smelly, the clothes needed to be washed.

The women who lived near a river or creek took their families’ laundry down to the water’s edge to pound out the dirt on the rocks. As they walked the worn path, and as they scrubbed their clothes, they would converse with one another, sharing the loads of their lives as they shared their loads of laundry.

After a discussion with a dear friend about a difficult circumstance in her life, she told her husband of a conversation we had. He said it had been a good idea that we talked about the problem together. It reminded him of days gone by when the women went down to the creek to wash their clothes and commune with one another.

Paul exhorts us to “Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2 NLT) When you share your burden with another, scripture says, “That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.” (Ex. 18:22b NIV)

Is there one with whom you can walk alongside when he or she is in a circumstance of conflict, to share their load, to put a loving arm around them, to offer them a shoulder on which to cry, to speak words of comfort or say nothing at all? Are you a fellow creek-goer in someone else’s life?

My friend thanked me for “going down to the creek” with her. The next morning during her quiet time with the Lord, she told Him she wanted to go down to the creek and wash out a few things with Him.

So, what about you? Do you have one with whom you can go down to the creek, making your load lighter? If you do not have a fellow creek-goer in your life, the Lord will always be that friend to you, to walk the path with you down to the creek to share your heavy load or to help you wash the dirt out of a few things.

Do you have a worn path to the water, where you go to wash away the accumulated dirt of life that has disguised your true color and made you smelly?

Prayer: Lord, may I often be found down at the creek, being cleansed of all that hinders my relationship with You, while also lightening the load of another as we meet You there.