It happens every time I wash the dishes. I just can’t help it. It enters my mind for only a fleeting of a second and then it is gone again. It happens just as I am about to start washing the dishes. I am suddenly in my grandparent’s kitchen (I call these grandparent’s Nana and Poppa) and I am about nine years old and it is my job to wash the dishes. The water is already in the sink and I have placed all the dishes near by into the water and my Poppa enters the room and a look of shock comes over his face. “You are not going to wash the dishes like that, are you?” I have no idea what I have done wrong as he starts to remove all the dirty dishes from the water. He empties the water out of the sink – not one dish has been washed. He quickly refills the sink with water and detergent and turns to me. “This is how you wash dishes. You first place in the glasses, because they are the least dirties out of all the dishes, and then you slowly place dirtier dishes in the sink after the glasses and mugs are done.” He stands by me as I follow his instructions. As quick as a blink of an eye the memory is gone and I am there in the present still following his simple instructions for washing dishes.
My poppa died when I was twelve and I have lots of memories of him, but this is the one memory that comes to mind the most. Over the years I have found that I agree with his simple instructions for washing the dishes. It is funny how today we still follow the simple instructions of the people God has placed in our lives as children. Memories of them can be found in the weirdest places and sometimes at the weirdest times. The bible states in Titus 2 about older people instructing younger people in life. My Poppa instructed me as a child in how to wash the dishes and it still has an effect on me 24 years later, image the effect we can have on our children today. When was the last time you instructed your children or grandchildren? Remember that sometimes the most simple of instructions can have a great impact.
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