My husband thought I was crazy when I insisted on not buying a dishwasher for our new house. “God told me to be content, and to wash my dishes”, I told him. God bless that man, he just wanted to buy his wife a dishwasher and make her life a little easier.

But I had been praying, and I kept feeling God telling me to be content, and when we went to pick out appliances, that message rang loud in my ear as we walked to the dishwashers. Why would God care if I had a dishwasher? Would He really take the time to give me such a seemingly silly message?

Tonight it hit me as I stood at my sink scrubbing dried oatmeal. I gazed out my window at our field and watched the sun slowly dance behind the horizon. I had ten minutes with God, thanking Him for the beautiful portrait before my eyes, and just talking to Him. Sharing my hopes, my dreams, my fears, my brokenness, and my whole heart.

And I realized in that moment, that a dishwasher would have taken away this moment. We had a dishwasher in our old house, and dishes took me no time at all. Throw them in and hit the button. If I had a dishwasher, I know I wouldn’t stand at my sink to look at that beautiful view. I’d be too busy moving on to the next task, too busy to appreciate the beauty God has placed out my window.

So I know why God asked me to wash my dishes. He knew it would give me a minute to slow down and spend time with Him. It would give me a few minutes of resting in His majesty. To appreciate His artwork. To just be. Sometimes we feel promptings from God that seem silly. If we’re being honest, I came very close to buying a dishwasher, because, three children and a harvest crew. But God knows what He is doing, and we won’t regret listening.