Have you ever caught yourself unintentionally singing a song
from a cartoon your kids like? My girls watch My Little Pony nonstop these days, and now I catch myself humming
the theme song after one of their Saturday morning marathons. (I think the
people in the grocery store are appreciative of my magical spirit when I go
shopping on those days.)
Another song that often plays in my head is “When Will My
Life Begin?” from Tangled. Rapunzel
dances around the tower she has been locked in most of her life. She dreams and
draws and cleans and does the same things day after day with no reprieve. Her
life is rote and she has only been given a small window with which to see the
world.
As moms it can be hard to get up and do the same things day
after day. We cook and clean and draw pictures of animals for our little ones
because we love them. But we also know that these things need to be done.
Beyond that, we are often given the impression that we should
be at every Bible study with our workbook pages fully filled in, have our
children in multiple activities, and not only make dinner but it should come
with a perfectly frosted cake with a cherry on top. Every single night.
Our homes ought to be perfectly painted and organized with
labels. We should pray with our children each night and memorize verses with
them too.
Soon it becomes too much. Then, one evening I’m doing laundry
while dinner is boiling over on the stove while asking my children for the
sixth time to pick up their toys in the living room before I step on them! The
phone rings with someone from church, and I shut it off because there is no way
I will be able to talk with that person above the noise. Then I feel guilty for
not being available…
And that’s when I start singing, “When will my life begin?”
because surely this is not it. It’s out there, beyond the windows. The better
way that Jesus talked about with rest and freedom? He meant I might have that
in 10-15 years, right? Right?!?!
Glennon Doyle, of Momastery.com, recently suggested two
things about living each day:
1. Show up
2. Pay attention
Four words? I think I can handle that.
Beyond that, I’ve been asking God what those words mean. What
do they mean for me? What do they mean for us as moms and women and His
daughters?
Because I see how Jesus did that when He came. We see this in
the account with Martha and Mary. Jesus was able to speak truth to Martha about
her expectations because He showed up to her home and her life, and He paid
attention to why she felt she had to do more.
Showing up and paying attention involves being present to the
moment, even the crazy ones that have us juggling three things at one time.
Showing up means we acknowledge the activities for the day, and we wait for God
to reveal Himself as we engage in what needs to be done. Paying attention
involves seeing the world with new eyes because we are made new in Him more and
more each day.
When Jesus left earth, the Father sent The Helper—the Holy
Spirit. The Holy Spirit is what enables us pay attention. Not only to our own
surroundings but also to who God made us to be and what He would have us to do
each day. The Holy Spirit enables us to know when it’s a good idea to say “no”
to an activity that might impede on an opportunity to rest, even if we feel we should do this thing in front of us. The
Holy Spirit helps us take notice of the passions and gifts God has given us
because He is also the One who endows us with the gifting.
And then, during our days, we can ask, God, what are you doing here? Right here, right now? Our routine
activities become an opportunity for prayer, even simple prayers, for prayer is
both speaking and listening.
For years, my attitude for laundry was to toss it in the
dryer with frustration while I muttered about how it never goes away. Ever.
There’s also cooking dinner. I am personally not a fan. Not only do I struggle
to not burn dinner each night, there is the inevitable pile of dishes waiting
for me after everyone is in bed. It’s like the kitchen has a personal vendetta.
It mocks me daily.
But then, for whatever reason, one day I started scrubbing a
pan and muttering words to God. Suddenly I realized that the natural rhythm of
cleaning and folding laundry could be something more than a necessity. I could
talk to God while I did such things.
I remember one day I received a phone call from some family
friends who found out their mom had breast cancer. Their mom was also very
special to me. I was grateful I had made lasagna that day. I had some serious
things to ask God for on behalf of the ones I cared about. This became my
ministry. It didn't come with fancy nametags and standing up teaching a Bible
study. But it was important to me and to God all the same.
When I fold laundry, I ask God to bless my children and my
husband. If it’s a soccer uniform, I pray for fun and safety in the next game
or practice. If it’s pajamas, I pray for what my daughter calls “sweet dreams.”
(Those usually involve cupcakes or My Little Pony.)
God is already working in your life. Yours. The one that has
begun. With the chaos and the dirty diapers and multiple minivan trips to the
store to get milk. If we have to pick a checklist to live by, let’s go with:
1. Show up
2. Pay attention
Because that is where we find grace in the everyday. And the
rest and the freedom. Those are the moments of grace that go beyond when we
first said, “Yes, Jesus, I want to follow You.” In A Beautiful Mess, Kristin Ritzau writes, “Grace means not escaping
the mess and learning to experience life amidst the muck.”
When will your life begin? It already has.
“Listen. Are you breathing just a little bit and calling it
life?” -Mary Oliver
****
The other day I brought along a few resources. These are the
items that I brought, if you’d like to take a close look:
A Beautiful Mess: A Perfectionist’s Journey of Self-Care by Kristin Ritzau
Spiritual Parenting by Michelle Anthony (this book helps you
come alongside what the Holy Spirit is already doing in your family)
Rebecca Stone is the Managing Editor of ABeautifulMess.org and an Editorial Product Specialist at
David C Cook. She likes the color red,
independent movies, and turtle cheesecake. When not discussing theology with
her husband or art journaling with her two sweet little girls, Rebecca can be
found reading a good book, writing, or talking with friends. She blogs about
life and faith at With Pen in Hand.
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