Better Than Blah

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER (okay, a few years ago), I liked to stack the deck for my birthday with every “favorite” I could cram into the day. My favorite outfit, my favorite breakfast, my favorite people, my favorite indulgence, my favorite lunch, my favorite afternoon pastime, my favorite treat from the coffee shop, my favorite dinner. (Food in general was clearly a favorite.)

I had my mind set on the idea that my big day should be full of everything I loved most. I’m not sure where I got this idea, but I don’t necessarily recommend it, as this plan failed me miserably. Things never went exactly how I hoped, and based on the way I acted, you would have thought something much more tragic than Starbucks being out of chocolate chip muffins had occurred.

On my birthday each year, I decided that mundane meant miserable. And inevitably, despite my best efforts, the mundane always managed to creep in.

When I talk to other moms, the consensus seems to be that the toughest part of motherhood isn’t the really hard stuff but the mundane moments—the days when the most exciting thing to happen is pot roast. Ho hum. That’s how we describe most of our days.

I remember feeling this struggle with the ordinary just a few months after my family exited a really difficult season. The truth is, during those really hard days, I would have begged for a little blah. But just a few weeks later, I was unhappy with it.

It’s crazy how temptation works and how our flesh bends in those subtle moments to keep us dissatisfied with our lives. We have salvation in our hearts and heaven in view, and here we are, bellyaching about the days running together a bit.

But when I keep the truth of Philippians 2:3-5 in view, I know what I’m doing is anything but ho hum: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (NIV). The Bible repeatedly calls us to imitate Christ. He humbly served people and sacrificed himself for others. Doesn’t it stand to reason that every time we serve our kids, we are glorifying Christ?

I know it feels like we’re just making lunches and just cleaning up spills and just changing diapers and just hustling to work to pay the bills, but there’s more to it than that. I have a feeling you’ve already heard plenty of people talk about the glory in the mundane, but the reason we’re all still talking about it is because every day brings more mundane moments that blur together.

The good news is that there’s more to our ordinary moments than we can grasp in our limited perspective. When we see things through the eyes of Christ, the little things take on eternal meaning. When the Israelites were rebuilding the Temple after their exile, God gave the prophet Zechariah a message about how God can use small things for big purposes: “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin” (Zechariah 4:10).

When I view doing the dishes and laundry apart from a bigger purpose, I want to trade in my dread for an understanding that this is Kingdom work. I want to expect more moments of glory instead of expecting the mundane. That should give us hope, knowing that we don’t just have to endure another carpool trip or another evening bath; we can make these moments times of worship.

As you face a day of mundane moments, let this truth hit your soul: the ordinary things that fill your day are just giving you more opportunities to worship the Lord.

ACTION STEP

Write down the moments in your day that seem the most mundane. Create a reminder for those moments that will transform your day. For example, when I’m making the bed, I pray for rest and energy for the day and for great communication between my husband and me. I’m no longer thinking about the drudgery of menial tasks; instead, I’m being reminded that I’m a prayer warrior who is influencing change as I pray.

PRAYER

Father, I give you all the space you need to overcome the seemingly mundane moments of my days and infuse them with your presence. You bring life everywhere you go, and I pray you’d fill this home today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

MORNING QUESTIONS

TAKEAWAY TODAY | What do you find more challenging as a mom: the mundane moments or the big trials?

What mundane tasks do you find most ho hum?

DREADING TODAY | Is there anything you’re dreading today?

REDEFINING TODAY | If so, what is another way you can view that thing you’re dreading?

ASKING GOD TODAY | What request are you bringing before the Lord today?

EVENING QUESTIONS

REFLECTION | Were there any mundane moments that you were able to see as acts of worship today?

LITTLE VICTORIES | Where did you see God show up even in small ways, reminding you that you aren’t alone?

WHITE FLAG MOMENTS | When did you want to hide or escape today?

MEMORY OF THE DAY | What do you want to relish and thank God for?