All I did was paint the bathroom in our laundry room blue. Who would of thought such a small bathroom would be so much work. We have lived 8 years in our home. It is just about time to start some painting. So I decide to do just the small bathroom by the back door. No big deal. As I started painting I began to take notice of the trim. It sure could use a little touch up here and there. So I thought after I paint the bathroom I would paint a room a week, redoing the trim. Then I moved a piece of furniture. Mind you, it was just one piece of furniture, but that one move led to one load to the dump and one trailer load to goodwill. How can moving one piece of furniture turn the whole house upside down? How can painting one little bathroom blue lead to painting another bathroom, the upstairs hallway, one of our children’s rooms, and the trim in every room?
It seems like such trivial stuff but it is the stuff that makes up stewardship. Stewardship is taking care of the things that God has allowed us to use. I am still trying to convince myself of this as I paint. I often feel like I am wasting my time painting when I could be doing something for the Lord. But even as I paint I realize that the “Lord examines my heart and knows everything about me. He knows when I sit down or stand up. He knows my thoughts even when I am far away. He sees me when I travel, and when I rest at home. He knows everything I do. He goes before me and follows me. He places His hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me to great for me to understand.”(Psalm 139:1-6 NLT) “Even as he chose me in him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love he predestined me for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ. According to the purpose of his will. In him I have redemption, the forgiveness of my trespasses, according to the riches of his grace…which he lavishes upon me in all wisdom and insight.”(Ephesians 1:4-5,7-8 ESV)
Even in the most mundane things Jesus is profoundly present. He speaks to me through scriptures that He has placed in the memory of my heart. The times I spend painting become a time of silence and prayer (conversation) with Jesus. What’s really funny is it all started with a bathroom. A bathroom where I had filled in holes with putty, painted over them, only to have my youngest push her finger against the hole out of curiosity. It only made a slight dent in the wall that the eye is drawn to immediately, but nothing big. I wonder if anyone feels like me. I just wanted to paint the bathroom blue but it lead to a lot of other things. Having children leads to a lot of other things. With each child comes unique circumstances and deep heart felt concerns. I realized amidst painting my bathroom blue was the opportunity to humble myself before the Lord in prayer and adoration. It was a divine opportunity to practice the presence of God amidst a repetitious endeavor. It was the opportunity to take a tedious task and turn it into an intercessory prayer time for my children.
How many repetitious mundane tedious tasks can you think of this week that you can turn into time spent with Jesus?
Wendy
I completely relate to this Wendy.
I find myself doing things like that all the time. Just when I think it is going to be a somewhat mindless task, God shows up and starts showing me His truth in it.
He finds me most often when I am cleaning windows and tending to our flower beds.
When He shows up the most mundane becomes inspiring. He saturates the big and small of our lives.
For that I am grateful – He is truly with us – ALWAYS.