Brother Lawrence, member of the barefooted Carmelite monks in Paris in the 1600s prayed: ‘Lord of all pots and pans and things…make me a saint by getting meals and washing up the plates! The time of business does not differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen…I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament.’ (Story retold in Dorothy Patterson’s book, A Handbook for Ministers’ Wives)
Even amongst the mundane tasks of washing dishes, changing diapers, cleaning house, we can have sweet communion with God! These times are just as valuable a means of serving our Lord as the greatest mission work. Take heart today oh sisters and fill your soul with the presence of God! Don’t overlook the opportunities you have and moan over your lack of private devotional time. Take advantage of cultivating holy habits – linking every task with a spiritual focus. While cooking rice, pray for the countries that grow this crop. While filling up your tank with gas, pray for the Middle East. Even amongst the noise and clatter, you can find rest for your soul and be strengthened for the tasks ahead in addition to laboring in prayer for the furtherance of the kingdom. You have a valuable task!
“You are not defined by your husband’s work or even your own labor, as important as it may be; your identity and worth are not judged by personal skills or giftedness but by your intimate relationship to Christ. The passion in your heart will manifest itself in your position in the kingdom.” – Dorothy Patterson
Thanks for the ideas you have provided here. Yet another thing I would like to express is that laptop or computer memory demands generally rise along with other improvements in the technology. For instance, any time new generations of processors are brought to the market, there’s usually an equivalent increase in the size and style calls for of all personal computer memory plus hard drive space. This is because the program operated by means of these processor chips will inevitably increase in power to benefit from the new engineering.
How beautiful this is. Thank you for posting. We all need to hear this in this dark world. We CAN make a difference in our little hidden ways like St. Therese. Our goal is to raise a holy family, what a beautiful way to enter into prayer in the midst of our everyday duties,that are not always soo glamorous and fun.I need to remember this every hour of my day. That will be mine prayer, that I will have grace to carry this out.
May God Bless you and your family for the strive for Holiness.
Kim
Praise the Lord for that post~ I too find many blessings doing the everyday chores knowing that I can speak to and praise my creator~ When I am out doing errands I notice other vehicle tags and I will pray for the people that I may know in that state or just pray for the Lord to work in peoples lives for those I do not yet know~
Many Blessings
The practice of the presence of God is one of my all time favorite books. I try to remind myself with every task i don’t acre for – “Lord – I lift this up as worship to you-”
Wonderful post! I too sometimes feel guilty for the lost devotional time since the arrival of my girls. I do pray throughout the day, whenever I’m reminded to.
I also know that this time in my life is a short one, my kids will only be 2 once, and eventually someday there will be more hours for me to study the Word or be more involved with church activities.
Hi Lindsay – I have nominated you for a Lemonade Award. I noticed your blog on WFMW carnival from you blog title – which is similar to mine! I am a 30 something mom to 4 great kids, aged 11 – 16 years old and feel so blessed with all that God has given me and LOVE to take care of my husband, children and home. I love hearing about other women who feel the same way. Thanks for all the great information and tips! Come on over to my blog to pick up your award!
Thanks I needed that true reminder!!!!
I needed this reminder today. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this post. It is very easy to get caught up in mundane tasks for the day. But God wants us to do everything through us and for him.
Thank you.
Oh what a sweet and needed reminder! Thank you! Brother Lawrence’s book is one of my favorites. Perhaps a re-read is in order.
Thanks, I needed that today
So very, very true! Gradually, I am learning this. I can be praying as I’m emptying the dishwasher, or singing as I work!
Thank you for the encouragement.
What a great devotional post.
We get so caught in everyday life and routine that we sometimes forget He is there, always. All that we do should be for the glory of good and with him by our side. Thank you for sharing and have a lovely day full of sunshine!
This was such a beautiful reminder. Thanks for encouraging me today.
This is exactly what I needed to read today. With a deployed hubby and three kids to tend to, I find myseld struggling for that “alone” time with God. But I can have that “alone” time anytime…..What a blessing your posts are!!
Many Blessings,
Miranda
Oh, this is just lovely!! Thank you. The Dorothy Patterson quote at the end is very, very uplifting, too. Just what I needed to read today. ^_^
God bless!
- Sarah
I know I’ve linked to it before, but this video is so beautiful.
If Ever You Worshipped. This is so encouraging for moms who can feel like there “small” lives don’t make much of a difference.
As moms we play such a vital role in the lives of those around us and we can impact the kingdom in extremely significant ways.
Beautiful post! Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you for sharing this! It is EXACTLY what I needed to hear today! I am praying that everyone that reads this blog post will have sweet communion with God today while doing their daily tasks!