I have been participating in the Lent season this year for the first time. For me, that means I've given up soda and Facebook until Easter and I've been spending that saved time in prayer, meditation, reading, and reflecting. I'll be honest and say I have also spent some of that saved time drinking coffee, playing sudoku on my phone and pondering whether or not ginger ale is classified as a soda. I never said I was perfect. All joking aside, I can honestly say that I have already benefited from this practice of denying my compulsions. I have learned a lot from studying and I have begun to change some of my thoughts and actions.
One of the realizations I have come to is that I need to remind myself often of how important my job is and how joyful it can be. Not so important that I need to beat myself up when I make mistakes or when I have a bad day but important enough to feel fulfilled. Sometimes I lose sight of that. I scrub the pots and pans, put them away, bring them back out to cook then scrub them again. I wash the laundry, fold it, put it away, then wash it again. I feed the kids breakfast, wipe their mouths, give them a snack, wipe their mouths... You get the point. I do a lot of stuff that is repetitious and it starts to feel meaningless. But I came across a blog post about laundry that challenged me to pray for the members of my family as I folded their clothes. It would give a monotonous task more meaning. It made me think, "What if I lived like that?" What if I expressed gratitude for the food we eat as I prepared meals? What if I thanked God for the roof over our heads and electricity and running water as I paid the bills? What if I prayed for my children as I washed their hair in the bath at night? Sadly, I don't do those things. But I'm going to now. Because it's not just my job to hold down the fort until the weekend. It's much, much more.
Now, I don't really know if this Lenten season has anything to do with these new convictions but they showed up at the same time. I hope that, as mothers, we can find joy in our day to day tasks and realize how important it is for us to raise the children and future of our society. I also hope that no matter what you do with your days, you are aware of how important it is to those around you. No job is too small to be great.
Dear Lori, I won't always comment, but I just want you to know that I recently just discovered your wonderful posts, and really loved this post so much. It's a huge thing what you said, and I would even like to quote you. :)
ReplyDeleteThere's gratitude in the little things, and that's what it's all about. I've learned so many things the hard way... it's really refreshing to see the wisdom you have at a young age, and how you're enjoying motherhood. I kind of learned a lot of things a little late in life, but I'm still learning! Wish I had the same mindset you have now when my kids were little. You are an excellent mommy!