Joying in the mundane

"Homemaking is a vocation often filled with mundane tasks and repetitive chores, most of which are performed in obscurity. It demands a colossal amount of serving and sacrifice. Sometimes between scrubbing toilets and laundering dirty clothes, we can lose sight of the significance of our calling. We look around and perceive everyone engaged in meaningful work. Everyone, that is, except us. And our vision for working at home begins to flag." Reading these words from one of my favorite blogs (http://www.girltalkhome.com/blog/a-home-for-god), I was struck with a revelation. I too can feel like this at times in my job as an assistant. Copies and more copies. Endless pots of coffee brewed. Phone calls. Filing receipts. While I have my share of exciting projects, I spend most of each day attending to needs that arise, handing details behind the scenes. Repetitive tasks. In the natural, mundane things. Lunch runs, filling the candy bowl on my desk, sending that 100th reminder email of the day. I've often said when people ask what I do each day at work "Well a lot of it's the 'mom factor'." And you know what? By God's grace, I absolutely love what He's called me to. When I have my eyes on Him. For I know that this job as "helper" to the folks around me is making a difference for eternity. I often reflect on the fact that God has given me the joy of being able to practically cultivate skills I will one day need as a wife and mom. I GET to apply the principle of helping those around me and orienting myself to their needs each and every day. This is no small thing!!! God is calling me to care for the precious souls around me each and every day. What a humbling calling. What a high privilege. Carolyn Mahaney wrote in the blog post I referred to earlier that "our homes can exude warmth and provide refreshment for all who walk through their doors. They should be pleasant havens...sanctuaries where we offer care and hospitality to other Christians...While we long for our heavenly home, let’s strive to make our earthly home a place of peace, order, joy, and laughter. And let’s make this our prayer: “Lord help me to build the kind of home where all who enter find it ‘impossible to keep from thinking of God.’” And that's my prayer for my office. A place where all who enter are refreshed, encouraged, pointed afresh to our great God. So while the mundane tasks abound and tomorrow will find me buried in emails, spreadsheets, brewing tea and coffee, and more, I want my desk to be a place where ministry happens. Where the mundane becomes monumental, because of WHO it is all for. Serving and loving others because Christ first loved me and gave himself up for me. Mundane? I don't think so.