Beauty in the Everyday

I have said it before, and I'll say it again now: I don't remotely have this whole "Christ-follower" thing figured out. Not even close. If you think I do, then we must get to be better friends! If you do know me, you will know how hard-headed I am. This past year has been a time of being hit over the head with the same lessons over and over, much like the disciples, because I was too immature to figure it out the first time.

I am a work in progress. Hopefully, God is always changing me, always chipping away at the parts He doesn't like. Sometimes it hurts. Actually, most of the time it hurts. Much of the time I eager to be changed until God starts to chip off pieces of my self I am rather fond of, or am resistant to let go of-like my possessions, my security in worldly things, my temper, my lack of patience. All of this is good that God knows to remove it, even when I don't see it myself.

Right now, the lesson God seems to be hammering into me is this: There is beauty in the day to day stuff.



Colossians 3:23 says in summary, "Do everything you do with all your heart, as if working for God and not for man."

As a mom, it's hard to get this concept sometimes. I wake up, get some caffeine, fix breakfast, do the dishes, do laundry,vacuum the floor, try to read my Bible, do more laundry, teach the kids a thing or two, fix lunch, do dishes, do more laundry, put the kids to nap that need to nap, attempt to finish having my "quiet time", proceed to check facebook for probably the umpteenth pointless time,  do more laundry, discover the kids rooms look like tornadoes have destroyed them and start to clean them up, get distracted with some other task, upon kids waking up have them clean rooms (or rather, whine and bicker about cleaning rooms), more laundry, sweep or vacuum again, prepare dinner, and do dishes as I go..... you all know how it goes. Throw in there the fact that I am also trying to potty train Jonah even though he refuses to poop in the potty at all. Also add to that, any time I get focused and determined to do any number of tasks throughout the day, I can be sure Jonah is destroying something else.

This past week, we have visited my family for Memorial Day, unloaded 2 van loads of flooring into our bedroom, pulled up all the carpeting in the 3 front rooms, and I had the pleasure of starting a Women's Bible study group in my home. The point is, I tend to find myself pulled in different directions quite often. I am guilty of caring more about what others think of me than God. I am guilty of putting too much time in worrying about making ends meet or the fact that I will never have a nice enough, clean enough house or the fact that my kids don't behave like I wish they would. I get busy doing stuff I have to do, and stuff like this happens....

This happened today, while I was in the kitchen fixing dinner. Now that we pulled the carpet up, I have to frequently vacuum the concrete because dust and dirt just sticks to it! Jonah decided it would be the perfect opportunity to run his trains and trucks through it. Go me!

This happened while I was unloading the floor planks from my friend's van to our porch. Yes, that is a brand new can of coffee on the floor and on him. It was a sad day in the house. And probably grumpier than I would have preferred. I should also mention that earlier, while we were having Bible study the day before, Jonah dumped out the sugar and had what he claimed to be a snow fight with his friend. We're so proud!



But God reminded me today, that everything I do if I'm doing it to His glory, not only does it have value, but it's an act of worship. It all matters. Every mundane bit of it. It is still pretty hard for me to understand, but I'm being constantly bombarded with that fact, so perhaps some of you are going through that too. I just want to encourage you in whatever you are doing to do it to the best of your ability to bring glory to God.  I'm still figuring out what that means, but the best I can see is am I being loving? Am I serving others? (with a joyful heart?)  Am I modeling patience, peacefulness, selflessness, real kindness, or sacrificial love? Am I modeling for my kids how I wish they would act? Or am I modeling the "do as I say not as I do" way of living? Am I living out what it says in God's word? Am I spending time daily in prayer and reading God's word?

I think it's a balance, and most days the balancing act comes up lacking in at least one area. Do I want to be lacking in my relationship with Christ? Or am I willing to forgo some of the things the world tells me to seek after and find my worth in, if it means I have followed hard after Christ?

So no, my house may not be clean. My laundry room will likely be covered in clothes, and there will probably always be dishes in my sink. We may not have the biggest house, or take all the vacations and field trips we want to, and we may not get to eat out much. But if I am at least trying to glorify God and be content with what I do have, I can take peace in the chaos. Thank God that he gives me enough grace for me to be okay being right where I am, and knowing that right now, the every day, is right where He wants me to be.