Cleanliness is next to Godliness... and might be God's way of answering prayers.

So, having not been to my own ward for a while, I'm a little backed up on tithing.  I have 2 paychecks and a photography job (grrr... I've got a rant and a half about that one) that haven't had tithing paid yet.  This morning I went to grab my checkbook, knowing I was a little low on checks, and found that my checkbook was actually out of checks.  Never fear, I have more in a box... somewhere... and that box is probably in another box of random stuff I never use... somewhere... oh man.

So, I began searching.  First I checked my desk.  Nope.  Then I checked my cubbies.  Nope.  Then I checked the boxes under my bed.  Nope.  Then I checked my closet, and all the shelves in my closet.  Nope, nope.  I sighed, absolutely resigned that I was going to have to dig through the storage closet, find my 2 storage bins that Stephanie "organized" to the back and bottom of everything, and get them out of there.  So, I started digging.  I dug and dug and dug until I was roughly underneath Saskatchewan.  Finally, I found my bins.  I opened the first one: a couple boxes for electronic stuff and a tea set I "won" at work (and by "won" I mean last year they were trying to clear out their inventory before taxes and gave away all sorts of stuff they'd never sell).  No checks.  In the second bin was my old backpack, a volleyball, a broken CD player, and some other odds and ends.  My jiujitsu gi was in there too.  No checks.

That's where the problem started.  I had officially checked EVERYWHERE that it could possibly be.  The only other place in the apartment that houses stuff I own is the bathroom, and I'm not going to put checks in the bathroom.  I even just reorganized my bookcase this morning.  Nothing!

I had this thought - You know, I should make a list of all my stuff I hardly ever use and where I put it, so that when I do finally need it, I won't have completely lost it.  But, I'll never make that list.  If I make a list to keep me from losing my stuff, I will inevitably lose the list.

So, I decided to eat breakfast.  I know, super resourceful, aren't I?  While praying over my food, I threw in a, "And please help me to find my box of checks... you know, so I can pay tithing."

Sometimes I wonder if the little thoughts we have while praying, that are not a part of our "official" prayer, get sent up to heaven as well.  Like, "I'm going through this trouble so I can obey You, Lord, so a little help would be nice."  I wouldn't actually say it in a prayer, because it's a little disrespectful, and I pay tithing for more reasons than just obedience, so I'm not actually that whiny about it, but the thought did drift across my mind while praying...

Anyway, I digress.  So, I ate my breakfast, put my cereal and milk away, then went to wash my bowl and spoon.  While washing my bowl and spoon, I noticed the sink was pretty full, including cookie sheets, bowls, and my crystal glasses, which had been put to grand use at a sleepover where we ate Oreos and cheesecake cupcakes and drank Martinelli's sparkling apple-grape cider from my martini glasses.  I decided to do the dishes so I could put my glasses away before they broke.  Then I decided not to, because I only had so much time to search for my checks before church, and the dishes could wait until after church.  Then that little voice in the back of my head... which really isn't a voice... it's more like a decision I didn't make myself... said I should just get the work done while I was thinking about it and get my glasses put away.

So, I scrubbed the cookie sheet and put the silverware in the rack (handles down... Stephanie would be so proud of me) and loaded bowls and tupperware and whatever else into the dishwasher, then gently hand washed my crystal glasses.  When the glasses were clean, I took them into my room, got a chair to make myself tall enough to reach where my glasses go, and put them on the top shelf of that bookshelf that's over my window. 

Turns out I never thought to look on those shelves above my window.  As I put the glasses away, I realized that off to the left side was a stack of papers - stuff like phone bills, bank statements, Stadium Terrace rule book, etc. - and on top of the papers?  A box of checks!

I climbed off the chair and just laughed.  Thank you, Lord!  Answer to my prayer?  Do the dishes.

So, that's my spiritual thought for this lovely Sunday.  God answers prayers, and doing the dishes is a good thing.  The end.