The daily mundane or God's blessings?

I'm currently doing a Bible study on Gideon by Priscilla Shirer and after just two weeks into it, I've learned so much about the Bible and myself. Gideon was one of the twelve judges and had many weaknesses that God turned into strengths. Part of the story we are focusing on opens with an angel of the Lord appearing to Gideon (before he was appointed to be a judge) as he was going through the boring, monotonous job of pressing wheat into a wine press.

One of the main points to take away from the opening of the story is that God often shows Himself in ordinary ways while we are doing ordinary things. Pricilla asks us to think of five things that we do on a daily basis that we find boring or that may even seem meaningless. I had no trouble coming up with five and here's what mine were:

1) Changing diapers
2) Dishes
3) Picking up toys
4) Laundry (ok so maybe not every single day but close enough)
5) Taking a shower

I thought of those five things immediately and could have come up with five more easily. At the end of this day's study, she talks about how the things that can seem mundane to us have God's blessings in their midst. Two quotes from Priscilla that really spoke to me during this day of Bible study were: "Gideon's story reveals that even your most mundane duty has a twinkle of the favor of God." And, "Don't despise the very things that signify your seat under the umbrella of God's goodness each day." Then after explaining that a little further she had us go back to those five things and write how they are really a blessing to us from God. Even if we can't see a blessing in the actual task, the tasks themselves come because of a blessing (we have mounds of laundry to do because we have a family and our family is a huge blessing). It was so convicting and powerful. I'm just a few weeks back from spending time in a third world country where while I'm there I swear to myself I'll never take certain things for granted or complain about them again. But it's time like doing this Bible study last week that my human, sinful flesh is revealed. But another but...God shows His love and grace and mercy. Here is how my list changed:

1) Changing diapers. I have a healthy little boy to change diapers for. So many people would give anything to have a baby. Also, I'm home with Gray and get to be the one to care for him every day. And another also, he has diapers!! It might be hard for us to believe, but there are many people in the world that don't use diapers because they simply can't afford them-cloth or disposable. Kenya happens to be one of those places-I've been peed on many times by some sweet African babies!

2) Dishes (my least favorite house chore). I have a family to cook for and enjoy meals with. We have a dishwasher. We have nice dishes. And most of all, we have plenty of food to fill the dishes daily.

3) Picking up toys. I wouldn't have toys to pick up if I didn't have a child. That in and of itself should be a big enough blessing to erase the mundaneness of picking up toys. Gray has more than plenty of nice toys to enjoy. So much more than so many children. We have nice toy boxes and baskets to keep his toys in. We have a nice, warm home for him to play with these toys in and room enough in our house for this many toys. I could definitely go on and on for this one.

4) Laundry. I have a family to wash clothes for. We have a washing machine and dryer rather than having to hand wash and hang dry our clothes like many people do. We all three have nice clothes and far more of them than we need, despite the many times I've said "I don't have anything to wear." I ought to be ashamed!

5) Taking a shower. We have hot, running water that we get as much as we want of. We don't walk for miles to carry 40 pounds of cold water on our heads like most everyone has to do in Kenya.

I could go on and on about the many blessings in each one of these mundane daily tasks. I don't believe God wants to bring things like this to our attention to make us feel guilty, rather to help us see the blessings and joy behind any and everything that He has us doing in life. He is more than good, my friends.

Happy Monday!


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