The Rusty Machine

December 29, 2018

The Rusty Machine

Most homes in our neighborhood were built with basements, providing extra living space and room for the furnace, hot water heater, washer and dryer. After hearing stories about flooding during severe storms that damaged everything in people’s basements, we didn’t really want one. In fact, Al and I tried finding a ranch style house built on a cement slab, but none were available at the time we were looking. So we ended up purchasing a home that had a basement after all, with the laundry room located downstairs.

One evening, after I had put a load of clothes in the washer and had gone upstairs, the sound of rushing water came from the basement. Not a good sound! I hurried downstairs to find water gushing out of the bottom of the machine, creating a mini-flood.

It was a good thing that the floor of the laundry room was cement and not carpeted like the rest of the basement. Thankfully, much of the water was running through the metal cover of a drain in the floor into a pipe leading to the sewer. At least both of the appliances were on mats, so that they weren’t standing in water.

What to do? It was 8:30 at night, too late to call a repairman. Al and I decided to try to make an appointment first thing in the morning. But there was still the problem of the clothes that were soapy, wet and not fully washed.

After taking everything out of the machine and mopping the floor, I called Lynette, the woman who lives directly behind us. She and I have formed a friendship in the past two years, visiting over the back fence, going for walks, helping each other whenever possible and even exchanging house keys. I’ve taken care of her cat when she has gone out of town; and when we have needed to be away from home for several hours, she has come over and let our two dogs run around outside for awhile.

Lynette happened to be home that evening in answer to my prayer of desperation.

When I explained what had happened, she said it would be fine to finish the load of laundry at her house. Lynette greeted me at the back door, carried the laundry basket down the flight of stairs to her basement and put the soggy clothes into her washer.

We sat down at the kitchen table for a cup of tea, with her cat stationed between us on top of the table. Good thing he didn’t like tea! We patted him and visited for about an hour while the clothes went through the rinse and spin cycles.

Around 9:30 pm I put them in the laundry basket and took them home to dry, thanking her many times over. A great neighbor! I did one more load at our daughter’s house a couple of days later and then waited for the repair man to come at the end of the week.

It was a relief when he arrived on Friday morning. When he heard how the water had poured out the bottom of the machine, he removed its cover and quickly found the problem: the internal hose had fallen off.

Once the hose was put back on, the main problem was taken care of. He also told me that the damper pads had worn completely out and said that the machine was rusting away. Further repair work would be too expensive, he thought. It would have to be replaced in the near future. Not good news; but, it has served us well for many years.

Since that incident, there haven’t been any more serious problems with the washing machine. Yet in the back of my mind, I know that another one will have to be purchased soon.

As believers in Christ, we are anticipating His return, looking forward to His replacing this broken world in which we live with a brand new one. Until then though, we can do our part by being loving neighbors to all people. Let us follow Christ’s example of love in the year ahead!

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13: 34 NIV

“But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:13 NIV