What are some of the ways that you show your love to the people at your house?
Could it be mainly by doing the things that you are sometimes tempted to see as unimportant or mundane? Come to think of it, I really dislike the word mundane. To me, it is a grand misrepresentation of all that is truly important at home!
Negatively calling tasks mundane can imply that anyone can do them, that they are what is left over after the significant work is done and that the person who assumes them must have nothing better to do or at least has no ambition to do anything else!
I submit that all of these ideas are false.
On a given day, you may be tempted to feel that stopping the busy-ness of the day to rock a sick child has taken you off the fast-track and plopped you on the mundane path, but I’d say not so. When you were sick as a child, who comforted you best? Was there anything you wanted or needed more that your mother’s cool hand on your forehead or the quiet time rocking until you fell asleep or felt a bit better?
Did you ever have the good fortune to walk into your childhood home or your grandparents home and smell a delicious dinner cooking or a pie baking in the oven? Someone was there cooking out of love for you!
How wonderful it can be to crawl into clean, sweet-smelling bed covers pulled back by a parent. To be tucked in with a kiss and a goodnight. Those fresh bed clothes were put there by someone’s unselfish efforts! And was there again at the end of the day when surely there are always other opportunities that could have been taken.
Nope, mundane doesn’t fit at all.
The tiny, almost invisible things that are done in a loving home each day are the exact hows of love.
Please don’t lose sight of the grand significance of the work that you are doing for heaven’s sake. For heaven’s sake, because, wouldn’t God Himself kiss those small hands and bandage that little knee and feed all those who are hungry? And wouldn’t He show patience for the crying child who doesn’t yet understand consequences, much the same way He shows us patience in our tears and our lack of understanding?
In fact, those are exactly the things that Jesus modeled for us.
And here we are, working out our salvation before Him, by following His example, using His servant-leadership model.
Every diaper you change, every nose you wipe, every hug you give, every meal you prepare and each bit of listening and encouragement you give, you give for Him.
And in return, you will receive His promised healing.
May you be made well and whole!
Love,
Jacque
P.S. How wonderful it is to know, that even in our best efforts, we won’t be able to be everything to everyone! Purposely human and fallible we are! No, thankfully we were made to be resilient, to teach and to be taught, and we have the gifts of apology, of forgiveness and ultimately, every opportunity we will take to start again. And again.
P.P.S. You’re amazing and you are making such a difference in the world! Keep on going!