6/21/10 Washing Dishes. Sharpening pencils---but that’s probably only ordinary for me. Folding clothes. Changing diapers. Cooking supper. Ironing. All ordinary things---though for me, ironing is somewhat extraordinary since I don’t do it often, except for my pillowcases. A few days ago I did some “getting ready for trip” ironing. It’s one of Mother’s rules. Ironed things, pack better but need a few days to hang before packing---never pack (or wear) clothes still warm from the iron. Still hearing her voice as if she were beside me, I did just that.
Standing there at the ironing board, I noticed I had some straight pins stuck in the end---just like Mother used to do. I had them there because I had just unwrapped a new shirt for Larry and they were part of the packaging. For Mother, she used them to pin her skirts to hangars---maybe they didn’t have skirt hangers in the 50s, or maybe that would have been considered a luxury by her. Mother's ironing and care of clothes was extraordinary and not because of infrequency but because she did it well. Daddy probably had creased underwear---for sure, they were ironed.
Yesterday, Pastor Cole, reminded all of us to pay attention to God in the ordinariness of life. To pay attention and be responsive to Him in the “routine.” Significance is not the standard---attentiveness to His directives is.
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
I Corinthians 10:31
Jeremiah 29:13 says, “
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” To me, that verse implies that when I seek Him with the right “heart” attitude, I will find Him even in the ordinary. My significance will come from Him, not from "great tasks" that I have initiated and just stamped His name on.
To that I say, “Hooray for the ordinary!”
