Well, I’m probably breaking all book reviewer records today, but I can’t wait another second to tell you about this book. Only two days ago, it appeared in my mailbox, wrapped inside a padded white envelope with that oh-so-familiar Mind & Media return address. I knew instantly what book it was, and I could hardly wait to get inside and unwrap it!

I first heard about Barbara Curtis’ book on Amy’s Humble Musings. I love Amy’s blog and when she said, “Reading this book was like a cup of cocoa on a cold day: Barbara’s warm candor and not-so-perfect stories were a treat to me, a mother in the trenches,” I knew I’d enjoy this book too. Also, one of Amy’s commenters said she read the book cover to cover with a flashlight at night! So, when I found out Mind & Media was offering this book for review, I was all over it.

This is how I spent my quiet Sunday afternoon — reading this delightful book. It’s the perfect length for busy moms, and oh-so-full of wonderful words of refreshment. Barbara Curtis has a passion for inspiring mothers like me to see our roles as a calling. I can tell you my book is already dog-eared, underlined, and filled with stars and scribbles in the margins — which means I’ll be quoting from it every chance I can get!

First of all, this book is rich; it’s not fluffy. I’m so tired of fluffy books written by authors who must produce a new book every year, even when they have nothing new to say. Their books are full of cutesy graphics and quotes from other people. The same old thing I’ve read dozens of times. Instead, this is written by a woman who finds deep, spiritual joy in the GREAT ADVENTURE of motherhood. She loves her family; she loves her life. And after reading it, you’ll understand why — and you’ll want what she has for yourself.

Lord, Please Meet Me in the Laundry Room is Barbara Curtis’ life story — her long, drawn-out answer to the question she probably hears several times a day: “So, how do you DO it?” Barbara is the mother of 12 kids — 9 of her own and 3 adopted. What’s more, she and her husband purposefully adopted three children with Down’s syndrome since one of their sons has this “little extra” chromosome. Need I say more about her qualifications to write a book?

In the first chapter, Barbara describes how her laundry room became the one place in her home where she could have a “Quiet Time,” where she could pour out her heart to God as well as listen to the “still small Voice” of the Lord. She says:

And so my laundry room became my prayer closet. For years it’s been the place I meet the Lord each morning before my children awake, and at intervals throughout the day as I transfer clothes from baskets to washer, from washer to dryer, from dryer to baskets again … I never have trouble finding God in my laundry room. He is always ready to receive my praise, my thanks, my prayers for family and friends, my joys and heartaches too.

Barbara’s journey to motherhood has taken plenty of twists and turns — she didn’t have a good role model growing up, as she was transferred between divorced parents and even in foster care at one time. She moved to California and went through a period of embracing the ideals of radical feminism. Then she discovered Christianity for the very first time while listening to James Dobson’s gentle voice on her car radio, then through attending a Focus on the Family marriage retreat. From that point on, her life changed forever, and she’s never looked back.

Despite what the world tells women, she considers motherhood the highest of callings, and she loves sharing her heart with her readers. She says:

If I had my druthers, we’d be sipping tea or coffee together, and I could take your hands and give you this special blessing: May God bless your motherhood as He has mine. May He give you the courage to see your mistakes and the assurance that He can use every one of them to His advantage. May He give you a vision of the glory of your motherhood, so that even while doing the lowliest tasks, you will not forget the privilege of your calling.

I have the feeling that one day I’m going to be reading that message out loud to a group of fellow moms — and I’ll have to practice it plenty of times beforehand so I don’t get all choked up saying it!

If you have a child who is a “challenge” or has special needs, this book is definitely for you. Barbara calls this “a little extra.” She describes what it was like to be surprised on her delivery day when she found out her newborn son had Down’s. While the nurses and doctors feared her reaction, instead she described the “joy and exhilaration” she felt at being chosen by God to raise such a special child who would always need her care. She shares how this “little extra” in some of our children motivates us to depend on God more.

She writes, “What a privilege to be so dependent, so connected to Him. And no doubt about it, it’s the connectedness to God that’s key in realizing that being a mommy is a completely worthy — and unique — calling.”

If you’d like to read an excerpt from this book, you can go to Barbara’s blog at Mommy Life and read her post, The Chapel of the Wash and Dry. You can also enter her Love that Laundry Room contest by sending her a picture of yourself having a “Quiet Time” alone in your laundry room. (Hey, some of these laundry rooms are fabulous — no fair!)

In case Barbara Curtis has a chance to read my review, I’d like to say thank you for writing this book. You’ve reminded me what a blessing it is to be chosen by God to be a mom, and how my calling is unique and wonderful. In return, I hope to find ways to continue sharing this message to people God puts in my path as well.

[Note: A condensed version of this review has been cross-posted on Amazon.]