Bearing Witness: A Motherist Reflection on Grace in the Laundromat

I want to testify to the grace that found me this week grace that showed up in the middle of chaos, inconvenience, and my own exhaustion. Even in the disorder of daily life, I sense that God is moving, not only in my spirit but also for my stepsister, Tonya’s birthday today.  For that, I am profoundly grateful. We are reminded never to dismiss the stranger in our midst for we may be entertaining angels.

Our washing machine stopped spinning, which means the clothes come out too wet for the dryer. With Baba away in Africa and the house unusually quiet just Noah and me I decided to take the growing mountain of laundry to a laundromat. Noah had even asked if I would do his laundry for his birthday which was in late September in lieu of a gift. I had told him no. Yet here I was, washing everything.

I had only twenty dollars on me, money someone had recently gifted to me. I planned to stretch it as far as possible, maybe even keep it for gas or lunch. But necessity pushed me toward the laundromat one I had driven past for years but never entered. It was spotless, bright, and surprisingly modern. As I stood there trying to decipher the machines, a European woman approached hunched over, with vibrant purple hair and asked if I needed help.

My first instinct was guarded. I thought, I don’t have anything extra to give right now. But she wasn’t asking for anything; she simply saw my confusion and explained how everything worked. She walked me through the pricing, which felt way to expensive! Eight dollars for a large washer. I bought the laundry card, loaded all twenty dollars onto it, and got to sorting and washing.

Hunger hit me next. I didn’t have enough left to buy food without going over budget, but the Jamaican spot next door was calling. And then I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me: Ask her if she needs anything. I hesitated. I didn’t know her preferences. I barely knew what I wanted. But the Spirit persisted.

So I asked. She said quietly, “I haven’t eaten today thank you for asking.”

Off I went. I bought a $2.50 beef patty and brought it back to her. She received it with a gratitude. I felt ashamed knowing I could have purchased a meal but I will deal with that part of me later.

As my clothes dried, she offered to help me fold. I declined, assuming I didn’t need assistance, again. Yet I had four industrial-sized dryers full of clothes. She got up anyway and joined me. As we folded, a five-dollar bill fell from one of the dryers seen only by me. My first thought was practical: this could offset the laundry cost. But the Holy Spirit spoke again: give it to her. So I slipped it into my pocket, waiting to finish the folding and as I walk out the door to hand to her. I couldn’t help wanting to give more.

As we worked, she began telling me her story. She was 68, recently fired, now homeless, her belongings in storage nearby including a brand-new washer still wrapped in plastic and a dishwasher. She offered to sell me the washer, knowing my own machine had broken down. She overheard me talking to repair folks and weighing my options

I listened, and all I could think was: look at God!

I called my church and asked my secretary to bring one of our Hope Bags: a half-gallon Ziploc filled with socks, toiletries, soup, water, and a $25 gift card. When she arrived, I handed it to the woman, along with the five dollars that had fallen from the dryer. She received both with deep gratitude as she stated, see you tomorrow.

Before we parted, I told her I would help her find a buyer for the washer by Friday or find the $150 she needed somehow. I don’t yet know how I will do it, but I trust God will make a way because it is the right thing to do.

As we talked, she said something that stayed with me: “There’s no such thing as coincidence.” I believe that. People are brought into our lives for reasons and seasons. And right now, in this Advent season, I feel especially connected to those who are homeless, vulnerable, or placed at the margins. Isn’t that at the heart of the Advent narrative a God who shows up in unlikely places, among people the world overlooks?

I am grateful that the washing machine broke. Grateful that inconvenience created encounter. Grateful that God used a laundromat to remind me of a simple truth: as the Gospel hymn reminds us, “if I can help somebody, then my living will not be in vain”.

The Holy Spirit multiplied my $2.50 into an offering of $5.00 and much more than that. It may seem small, but it came from a place of divine love, spiritual abundance versus scarcity. I am thankful I was present enough to hear, to see, and to respond, even in my own internal struggles.

The lesson for me is clear: be anxious for nothing. Thankyou, Big Sis you show me every time!

Amen. Ase.

My Angel watching