Ordinary Day

6/18/09 Ordinary Things
Today I went to the dentist and I ironed pillow cases---just ordinary things to do. Well actually for me, ironing is more extraordinary than ordinary---I rarely iron. Embarrassingly enough, daughter Molly missed an “obvious” picture on her pre-school vocabulary test because she couldn’t identify an ironing board. I guess you have to actually see one in use to know what it is and probably all she had seen was me using the edge of the bed for ironing before I ran out the door. Otherwise, Elnora ironed on Thursdays and that was Molly’s CBS nursery day, so she never saw an expert ironer at work either---one who actually uses a board.

Though ironing is not my forte I do love freshly ironed linens. I grew up with freshly ironed everything, especially the linen napkins and pillow slips as my mother called them. In fact my brothers and I teased Mother that she ironed Daddy’s underwear--- she probably did. In later years when Dorothy came to help with the ironing, Mother usually ended up re-doing it just to make sure the creases were right. For me, I’m not that particular. Ironing can be a chore but it can also be mindless and that can be a good thing. These past few months I’ve missed mindless and ordinary---to me there can be great comfort in ordinary things. Today I’m real thankful for a “routine” day.

Oswald Chambers says that even the common stuff of ordinary life should exhibit the marvel of the grace of God. This common stuff he describes as times (of) no thrill…just the daily round, the common task. “Routine is God’s way of saving us between our times of inspiration. Do not expect God always to give you His thrilling moments, but learn to live in the domain of the drudgery by the power of God.”

Maybe it’s because this week I’ve been meditating on, “in everything give thanks,” that I am actually enjoying this unremarkable, run of the mill, kind of ordinary day. No doldrums, just rejoicing in these mundane moments. Routine is rare in the Liles household so I’m cherishing every dull minute. This weekend when Mommar (a grieving widow) comes to stay for 3 nights (probably under some duress) circumstances will change once more---but God…by His power can help us all rejoice during this new but hard season of life. Obedience in honoring our parents is one of the Ten Commandments. Each tiny step one takes toward obedience is honored by God. God engineers all circumstances so that all things work together for good. His grace is there and one can be empowered by His strength for every task whether ordinary or difficult.

Rejoicing as this ordinary day ends and joyfully expectant of an extra measure of God’s grace for the not so ordinary weekend ahead!