September 9, 2018
What Was I Thinking?
“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
What in this world was I thinking? I asked myself this question recently. Hmmmm, actually, if I am completely honest, I have had this conversation with myself quite often…to which my answer is, “It seemed like a perfectly reasonable idea at the time.”
Recently, I was trying to complete the necessary house-hold responsibilities, which happened to include some piles of laundry. As I sorted the items, I came to two of Bill’s silk shirts which have made their home in his closet for a while, and during that period of time, I would take them to be dry-cleaned as opposed to washing them at home. The thought of running them through the washer seemed disastrous…But, on this laundry day, I, for some unknown reason, reached inside one shirt, and read the care instructions on the tag. Bold letters delivered a very intentional message…DO NOT DRY-CLEAN.
Interesting because I had purposely ignored this instruction for over a year…but on this particular day, something resonated in my brain, and I impulsively threw both shirts into the washing machine, and carefully selecting the delicate cycle…
The more I thought about my hasty decision, the more I dreaded pulling them from the washer…and then what? What in the world would I do with them…throw them into the dryer…shake out the wrinkles and hang them to dry? Then what…Then what! Oh no….the ironing board and the iron would be necessary! And, the pile of ironables grew…What in the world was I thinking? Yes, it seemed like a good idea at the time, for a few brief moments….
“Always be Joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances…”
Over the years of parenting our two precious ones who are now grown with precious ones of their own, I experienced what I now know to be a universal challenge…The challenge of the mundane, the ordinary, the monotonous tasks, which never-ever-ever cease in the life of a mom…but, are extremely necessary and beneficial to the well-being of the family…And, I discovered that these simple, tedious, and sometimes BORING tasks can become catalysts for some of the most powerful and life-changing events in the life of the family. And, it was through daily, ordinary, unremarkable, tasks, that moments became monumental, simple became sacred…and the boring became beautiful!
Long ago, someone wise, very wise shared her wisdom and divine advice with me…someone suggested to me, at some point of my momming career, to pray for my family as I engaged in the boring and laborious work in my home. When I threw clothing into the washer, or dryer, I had the opportunity to pray for the owner of the clothing…my daughter, my son, my husband…when I tripped over toys, or shoes, or stacks of books or craft boxes…pray for the owner (or perpetrator in some cases)! And, when the iron and ironing board had to appear…oh my…Yes, pray for the owner of the clothing…yes, pray hard…count the blessings…and, enjoy the moments of a joy-filled and thankful momma heart.
I discovered as I prayed-for my toddlers, my tweens and my teens, my weariness, and the monotony of the moments gave way to gratitude…And when that college son or daughter came home, in need of a meal…and some help with laundry, I could snatch up the basket of treasures, and joyfully and prayerfully perform the task which was once boring…and now, was a privilege and a labor of love…and the catalyst which transformed our home, when we prayed for one another…Oh the power of praying people who trust their Powerful God!
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
My friends, I confess I do not remember who encouraged me to pray as I worked for my family…But, I do know that the truth enveloping the advice will resonate forever in my heart…Why? Because it is true! The LORD calls us to be thankful in every circumstance and in every laborious task we perform; to be joy-filled as we work for and serve loved ones. And, when we pray-pray fervently- for these precious ones, our life and their lives are forever changed…This is His perfect will for His people.
I pray for you as you work and serve and wash and cook…as you love and bless your families…that you my dear friend, will come to understand and to believe that through the daily, ordinary, unremarkable, tasks, that moments become monumental, simple becomes sacred…and the boring becomes beautiful! May joy and blessings overflow in your lives and the lives of your family as you think, work, serve…and as you pray- even on the days when you ask yourself, “What was I thinking?”
Love you in Jesus!
P.S. So, I pulled out the iron and the ironing board…and tackled Bill’s silk shirts and the wrinkles etched-carved into the fabric. And let’s just say, I had lots of time to pray for Bill and to count the many blessings he is to me, as I wrestled with the iron…Now, I am wondering how quickly he will recognize that his shirts did not make the trip to the cleaners! Oh the joy…Empty-nest but full hearts!
