Life Lessons: Three of Ten — Wear an Apron
April 2, 2025
I don’t know about you, but I seem to attract spots on my shirts anytime I’m in the kitchen. Whether I’m baking, cooking on the stove, or cleaning dishes, I inevitably walk away with some new mark on my clothing.
There’s something curious about these spots. I’ll admit upfront that I’m not certain if these “spot-attributes” are objectively real or if they just occur with enough regularity they seem real to me.
Life Lessons: Three of Ten — Wear an Apron. #hope #joy #writingcommunity Share on X
These persistent spots range from tiny—about the size of a pencil eraser—to expansive splotches congregating in multiple places. They might appear near the collar or down along the hem. Since I almost exclusively wear colored t-shirts (mostly darker blues and olive greens), you can imagine how these darkened stains stand out.
Here’s one of the strange things about these spots: I rarely notice them immediately after my kitchen adventures.
Often, I’ll remove my shirt in the evening and, just before dropping it into the hamper, I’ll give it a quick inspection—no spots. Perhaps I’m not examining it carefully enough, or maybe the bedroom lighting isn’t adequate, but I’m telling you, these spots seem to materialize only after the shirt has entered the land of dirty clothes.
Sarah and I aren’t rigid about household responsibilities, but generally, I handle the laundry on Mondays. I gather the darks, dump them in the washer, add detergent, and start the cycle. About an hour later, after the machine plays its cheerful tune, I transfer everything to the dryer. Another hour (and another cute tune) later, I begin removing the warm clothes and start hanging and folding. Nothing extraordinary about this routine, we all do something similar.
But inevitably, when I hold up my t-shirts to shake out the wrinkles, there they are: spots, clear as day!
Usually alone during this process, I mutter a few frustrated comments to myself, then spray the spots with a special mixture of two different stain removers. The freshly washed shirts go back into the hamper, unusable until I accumulate enough laundry for another wash cycle.
The only effective solution I’ve found is wearing an apron whenever I’m in the kitchen. Unless I forget (which happens), if I’m cooking or washing dishes, my apron is on. This hasn’t eliminated every spot, but I encounter far fewer instances than before adopting this practice—my third life lesson.
Our walk with Jesus often parallels my experience with shirt spots.
Sometimes, like my earlier habit of standing in the path of splashing dishwater, flying flour, or splattering grease, we position ourselves in the way of temptation and sin. Invariably, we become stained by whatever we come into contact with.
We might find ourselves flirting dangerously close to things that aren’t good for us. Perhaps the love of money, abuse of power, self-centered pride, or other behaviors the Bible warns against. We can’t help but become marked by the consequences of these sins.
And like those spots that seem to appear days later on my shirts (even after washing), these sins may not become apparent until later. The realization might come during a church service, when a friend gently points out concerning behavior, or when God reveals the stain as we return to His Word or prayer.
The effort required to address life’s stains after they’ve set is always greater than preventing them in the first place. Wearing an apron is a small price to pay to keep my shirts clean. I keep my apron hanging right next to the kitchen. All I need to do is slip it over my head, secure it, and I’m protected.
Similarly, we’d be much better off keeping our Bibles close and our thoughts of God even closer. The practices of reading Scripture and conversing with God are easy disciplines when we consistently make time for them.
Paul beautifully described the benefits of allowing God to help us live the life He intends:
“Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (Philippians 2:12-14, NLT)
We can’t do it on our own. If we stand next to a pan of frying bacon, we’ll get splattered unless something protects us. Like an apron.
That is what God does for us. When we spend time with Him, reading His Word, talking with Him, and meditating on His teaching, He empowers us to fend off sin’s stains. We can enjoy the life God has given us more fully when we’re not constantly trying to clean up messes we could have prevented by allowing Him to protect us.
Similarly, I enjoy being in the kitchen more when I don’t have to spend four times as long removing spots I could have prevented in the first place.
My prayer for you today is twofold: that you spend meaningful time with God… and when you’re in the kitchen, wear an apron.
