July 22, 2013

James 1:4

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

The days I am at my in-laws the last few weeks look like this: make meals, do laundry, clean the house, vacuum, assist my mother-in-law with personal needs as well as exercises, water and weed the flowers, etc. I exercise once or twice a day, do some reading, keep in touch with folks, take Ellie to gymnastics and try to have a day with the grandkids a week.  My father-in-law calls me the “maid.” I officially know what it is like to be a stay-at-home person.

Rick and I had a conversation about our routine at his folks. He gets to their house early in the morning after work and sleeps until late morning. He does a few tasks around the farm before lunch and then assists his dad with projects after lunch. Sometimes it is fixing a piece of equipment, spraying weeds, mowing the lawn, fixing fence, etc.

How important are the various things that we do? This is an interesting question. Some things are important, like preparing meals, laundry and Ersel’s exercises. I’ve wiped away some dust and cleaned out drawers and such the last few weeks. In the end, how important is it to have a clean junk drawer or two?

I am having the same thoughts that thousands and millions of stay-at-home people have had over the years. At the end of the day, a clean house is simply that: a clean house. I do believe it makes it more enjoyable to live within and certainly easier to find things. But how important is it?

Last week, Rick washed one of the tractors.  He said it was time to get the layers off and start fresh. Washing a car, a tractor or cleaning a house is not all that different. Sometimes it is time to get rid of the layers and start fresh.

There are parts of our lives that are certainly less sexy than others. Sometimes, I envision God watching over us and shaking God’s head: in disbelief of how we live our lives and spend our time. Other times, I think God shakes God’s head in agreement for persevering through the mundane parts of life. There are lessons we can learn from the mundane. I think perseverance is noteworthy. Thank God we have a Heavenly Father who sticks with us in the mundane and perseveres with us when we lose sight of God. I pray we can be as mature and wise in our choices.

As we wash dishes, fold laundry, scrub the toilet or mow the lawn, I pray that we can make these mundane tasks meaningful. Help us to use this time to pray for those who need our prayers; to remember notes to send or calls to make; to explore how we can respond and help those around us. May the tasks not overwhelm us but be an opportunity to develop perseverance and maturity.  Amen.

Blessings –

Dianne