Dishwasher

Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith. Proverbs 15:16 

First of all, where I grew up in China, nobody I knew used a dishwasher.

Second, we had a dishwasher for each house/apartment in the States, before we moved to the country. I rarely used those dishwashers but I thought dishwashers are supposed to be a necessity for American kitchens. It seemed to me every American kitchen came with a dishwasher.

Third, we don’t have a dishwasher in our kitchen now and I don’t miss it much. 

Just to clarify a point: I am not against the dishwasher. When we first moved here, we were surprised to find that the kitchen didn’t have a dishwasher. On top of all the fixer-upper, clean-up work, not having this “convenience” seems like a challenge. Even though we talked about adding a dishwasher in the future would not be too hard, the limited kitchen counter space made me question our default thinking. 

Do we really need a dishwasher? For the few times I did use the dishwashers in the past, it was usually after a large group gathering. Dishwashers can speed things up to some degree.  Before we loaded the dishwasher, we would generally pre-rinse them for food scraps. However, we often ended up rewashing some cups afterwards, since there would still be traces of food or have a foggy look. By the time I was done pre- & post-washing, it wouldn’t take me too much longer to just do the job by hand. 

I like to utilize what I already have. My favorite feature about dishwashers is actually to just use it as a drying rack after washing dishes in the sink, especially when I have a lot of jars to wash from batch cooking. I could also use the “sterilize” button without the dish soap. Dish soap usually comes with loads of chemicals and their residuals are not good for healthy microbes. This is especially important if you are going to use the containers for fermentation (sourdoughs, sauerkrauts, kombucha, etc.). 

That being said, if the (good) microbes don’t like the chemicals, I will try to guard my family’s gut health by saying “no” to those unwanted foreign intruders. That’s the same reason why we have no need for junk food in our pantry. You see, how a truth-based principle can permeate all aspects in life, if we don’t simply follow the default choice or the mainstream fashion. In this case, it is a desire to feed my family wholesome healthy real foods that has challenged us to think about all the chemicals we have allowed into our daily living without much notice. Not only did we stop using the store-bought dishwasher solution, we also started making our own hand soap, bar soap, laundry soap, etc.. 

Life has its way to come around to humble us as we mature. The truth is, when I was a teen in China, I fantasized about the dishwasher. Doing dishes was my daily chore for many years. Back then, the faucet in our kitchen didn’t have the hot water pipe. Doing dishes in the summer was not too bad, but on the freezing cold days? No fun at all. I was told the cold water was actually helpful in preventing frostbite. The theory is that the cold temperature can stimulate blood circulation and boost immunity over time, as long as you don’t start cold water training in the middle of winter. We also were encouraged to wash our faces with cold water for the same reason. Some people even went all the way to do winter swimming! I can only admire those brave souls! 

Well, I didn’t buy the theory that suffering from cold would be good for us when I was a teen. I grumbled, complained, and did the dishes as fast as I could. Sometimes, I heated up some water on the stove to take the edge off. As a curious learner, I read about this wonderful machine in the west, called “dishwasher”.  It was so unbelievable that such an appliance not only existed on the planet, but was pretty common in other, more developed countries. I immediately announced to my brother that “I want one of those when I grow up!”. 

Little did I know, my childish wish would be granted years later on the other side of the globe. Even more interestingly, now that I am a parent, I see the necessity of suffering to develop character. Suffering can take different forms in different seasons. I am not saying you should let your children do dishes with cold water in the middle of winter. However, those years doing chores could have played a big role in preparing me for the lifestyle we are living today. That’s probably why many loving parents intentionally take their children out in the cold, to experience the beauty of winter and to toughen them up. You feel stronger as a human being when you overcome obstacles in nature and in life. 

Do you know some vegetables, like carrots, beets, even most leafy greens, will taste sweeter after the first frost exposure?  I didn’t know that. I just love this sweet reminder from nature to persevere for His glory and our good. Some so-called shortcuts or modern conveniences can start to creep in if I allow a crack, from my own lazy flesh, to open. We have to use our discernment to evaluate our life circumstances and usefulness of the new convenience, and then decide whether having another gadget or appliance or whatever will actually help with the efficiency in the long run, or simply clutter your kitchen.

The fuller our life becomes, the more I appreciate the rhythms in life. Recently, I started reading aloud while one boy is doing the dishes. He is an early riser, so by the time I put the baby in bed, he is already drowsy, half-asleep. I miss bedtime reading with him. As I looked at our busy schedule, I had a hard time finding a regular time block to read with this child. Then, I started to scan multi-tasking possibilities. “Dish-washing!” I had my a-ha moment. I am grateful for this added bonus time with my boy to share a book adventure together. Life is good! Work is enjoyable with company. 

Technology is a double-edged sword. I need wisdom and daily mercy to lead my children to navigate this modern Christian living. Not only do we need to know what is the right thing to do, we need to balance the timing and methods for things to be done. This is especially true as we start a homestead with numerous decisions to make, as new situations or opportunities keep coming up. It’s exciting and challenging. A lot of times, the battle starts in our mindset. We may be tempted or deceived to believe “We need X, Y and Z…”, or “Everyone needs this or that”. We can easily entertain our flesh by giving in to seemingly “new” and “easier” solutions. 

The older I get, the more I see the value of restoring the old rather than to chase the latest new cool timing-saving equipment. I am more hesitant to purchase the new before exhausting the possibilities to buy used, to repurpose or DIY. Following this pattern of thinking, I am relieved to know a simple fact for this season: remodeling the kitchen and adding a dishwasher will NOT be on the priority list for us right now. It’s a relief to have the freedom to work on other priorities. I am grateful for God’s guidance for each big and small decision! As we surrender our needs and bring our questions to our all-wise God, our Heavenly Father, we rejoice in His “yes”, “no”, or “not yet”. Each prayer is answered! He knows and sees. He has our best interest in mind as a loving Father. He does not always give what we have or the way we want it, but whatever He has in store is surely the best for us in this life and forever more! Perhaps, you are stressed about not having a dishwasher in your kitchen or your dishwasher is broken. I hope you find some encouragement as you are waiting or deciding whether to get another dishwasher. 

I am trying to limit to the discussions on dishwashers for this post, but the principle in thrift living applies elsewhere. Things are just things. They are there to help us, at the mercy of our plans to use them well. We are blessed with free will and creative thinking. When the budget is tight, space is limited, and resources are scarce, we are pushed to think through the necessities rather than follow the default answers. We can let go some of the “conveniences” and embrace new normals. It is a good discipline and exercise to set limits even when we live in plenty. Have you ever wondered why do people like to go on camping trips? I believe one of the reasons is to seek challenges either alone or with your loved ones. When you are camping, you are out of your normal routine, comfort zones, you have to improvise and make things work, especially if something is unexpectedly broken. It is those times you are showing your children the skills and, more importantly, the right attitudes when things go wrong. Being able to think is even more crucial nowadays as AI is becoming more dominant all around us. We need the Truth more than ever to teach us to think rightly and to be set apart.

Dear mothers, don’t grow weary of doing what is good. His loving hands are upon you. You are Jesus’ hands and feet to your littles or not so littles. There is a season to do everything for them, another season to train them to work, yet another to cheer them on as they work. All are beautiful! Sometimes, less is more! Perhaps, the problem you are facing is your solution for growing perseverance and character by His design. Know that in due time, you will reap a harvest of blessings if you don’t give up! He will be with you, always!