Carrie Newcomer’s Holy As the Day is Spent stands as one of my all time favorite songs. It speaks to the everyday holy moments of “folding sheets like folding hands, to pray as only laundry can.” May your week be full of the Holy enmeshed in the daily.
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In Him together, Susan Gaddis
Joe and Carol moved into their first home in a lovely, old Sacramento neighborhood. All around them the restored houses displayed their manicured yards and stately porches. As with most couples, Carol was very proud of their new surroundings and their ability to afford such a treasured home.
One morning while they were eating breakfast, Carol saw her neighbor, Sally, hanging the wash outside.
“That laundry isn’t very clean,” Carol commented. “Sally doesn’t know how to properly wash clothes. I’ll bet she’s using cheap laundry soap.” Joe looked on, but didn’t say anything.
Every time Sally would hang her wash to dry, Carol would make the same comments.
A month later, Carol was surprised to see nice clean laundry hanging on the line and said to Joe, “Look, Sally has finally learned how to wash clothes. I wonder who taught her how?”
Joe replied, “I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.”
Sound familiar? Many times, our perceptions mirror our dirty windows more than they do our neighbor’s dirty laundry.
Finding the Holy in the daily requires keeping our interior windows clean. How’s your window washing going lately?
In Him together, Susan Gaddis
Celtic Christians lived an intertwined life of work and prayer, knitting the two together in such a way that the work of the day became the prayer of life.
In her book, The Celtic Way of Prayer, Esther De Waal explains the Celtic practice of work and prayer. “… there was no separation of praying and living; praying and working flow into each other, so that life is to be punctuated by prayer, become prayer.”
Morning hygiene happened slowly and in the name of the Trinity as each palmful of water was splashed upon the face.
The palmful of the God of Life, The palmful of the Christ of Love, The palmful of the Spirit of Peace, Triune Of grace.The task of making the bed became a time of prayer as seen in this Irish prayer, one of many collected in 1906 by Douglas Hyde.
I make this bed In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit In the name of the night we were conceived, In the name of the night we were born, In the name of the day we were baptized, In the name of each night, each day, Each angel that is in the heavens.Alistair MacLean recorded this prayer in Hebridean Altars for days when our work load seems overwhelming or dull.
Even though the day be laden and my task dreary and my strength small, a song keeps singing in my heart. For I know that I am Thine. I am part of Thee. Thou art kin to me, and all my times are in Thy hand.And finally, this prayer from Hebridean Altars:
Seven times a day, as I work upon this hungry farm, I say to Thee, “Lord, why am I here? What is there here to stir my gifts to growth? What great things can I do for others—I who am captive to this dreary toil?” And seven times a day Thou answerest, “I cannot do without thee. Once did My Son live thy life, and by His faithfulness did show My mind, My kindness, and My truth to men. But now He is come to My side, and thou must take His place.”What comes out of your heart and mouth as you work your way through your day?
In Him Together, Susan Gaddis
Does your house seem like the kind of place where God hangs out? Do you want your kids to have God encounters? Would you like to experience more of his presence?
Setting an atmosphere for God to walk among us in our homes requires that we wear the mantle of a servant. Since most of us already feel we do the chores of a servant, wearing the mantle shouldn’t be too big of an adjustment. It’s the heart attitude that separates a servant from a slave.
It was Jesus who stated that the greatest among us would be the servants, and that we would find Him hanging out with those who serve. Washing feet was the job of a servant, yet Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and asked that we do the same (John 13:12-17).
When we work in the yard, clean the house, or set a nice dinner table, we are creating a physical atmosphere of comfort for our families, and welcome for our guests. When we do so with the heart of a servant, a spiritual atmosphere is created for the presence of God to move among us.
Chore lists are important tools in teaching your kids responsibility, but do you also talk with your kids about a right heart attitude in doing those chores? A servant’s heart isn’t something you can dictate—it must be cultivated through relationship, prayer, and the Spirit Holy. If you want God to encounter your kids at home—even in the midst of their chores—you have to first set the spiritual atmosphere by serving your family with a right heart.
What are you doing to set an atmosphere for God to hang out at your house? Do you model a servant’s heart for your family?
In Him together, Susan Gaddis
Our daily routine is not to be drudgery, but a place of blessing and meeting God. The book of Leviticus emphasizes this with all of its details concerning daily life. It illustrates how God wants to be present in everything we do, even the mundane things of everyday living!
The daily connects us to our humanness. It is what makes us earth bound for the 70 or 80 years we spend preparing for eternity. God made us human and He created routine. As humans, we are the object of His affection.
Our daily routines invite God’s presence because they are so human—they are so earthy—they are so us! What attracts the Lord are the human things we do, not necessarily the spiritual things we do—such as prophesy, casting out demons and other signs and wonders. (See Matthew 7:21-23; 25:34-46)
God does not want us to view our daily routine as boring, repetitive and meaningless. He sees it as opportunities to meet with us and renew us:
“Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11)
“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).
“…, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness” (Laminations 3:22,23).
“He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to listen as a disciple” (Isaiah 50:4b).
Repetition brings a sense of security and a sense of identity both for our family and for us. The fragments of our day are put into a whole picture by the daily repetitiveness of our lives.
We are called to find God in the midst of busy, noisy, demanding lives. How do we do that?
Welcome the sanctity of dailyness—our everyday, routine activities that invite God’s presence.
Think our thoughts before the Lord—the act of reflecting and thinking with God.
Be alert for the interruptions of God as we go about our daily routines.
Where do you find the Holy in the daily routine of your life?
In Him together, Susan Gaddis
How does one step into the story that God has planned for his life? How do we encounter the Holy in the daily in such a way that our life makes sense and contains purpose mixed with destiny? Here are 5 ways to step into your God story.
Consider your story
Begin each morning by consulting with the Author. He alone knows the direction your story line should take and how that might play out in the living of your day.
Follow your story
Your story may or may not be reflected in your day planner. Such lists are good for the basic outline of your days, but the real story happens between the lines. The scribbles of your story are just as important as the lists.
Tackle those projects on your schedule in rhythm with the Spirit Holy. Watch for the interruptions in your day and give the unexpected your attention.
Listen to your story
Listen to the writer of your story. He knows your tale from Table of Contents through Endnotes. In his book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Donald Miller explains, “There is a writer outside ourselves, plotting a better story for us, interacting with us, even, and whispering a better story into our consciousness.”
Learn through your story
The point of our lives isn’t our accomplishments or even our journey. It is the change that happens in us because of our journey—the change that occurs as we overcome the challenges of life. Therefore, every life situation is an opportunity to learn and grow into the likeness of Christ.
Enjoy your story
Take a few minutes just before you fall asleep to reflect on your day. God wants to enjoy the wonder with you of living the life he has laid out for you. Musing with the Lord creates a story bond between the Author and the main character—you.
Our questions for today: What do you want people to say about you when you are gone? What do you want them to remember? What stories do you want folks to tell while holding the memory of you close to their hearts?
Leave your thoughts in the comment section below for us to mull over.
In Him together, Susan Gaddis
What is in your closet? Do you have things in storage that you intend to use, but can’t seem to find the time to dig them out? Do you acquire items that eat up valuable space in your house or shed?
My dad did. We found clocks in his storage shed after his death—lots of clocks. Dad thought the clocks would be worth something someday, but that has not been the case. Missing parts devalue some antique clocks and the reproductions assess at a low price.
What am I suppose to do with 18 clocks? There were over 52 to begin with, but after distributing them between siblings, I ended up with 18 of my father’s clocks.
I have no use for so many clocks, nor do I want to store them for my children to stumble upon after my death. So far, I’ve sold some on Craig’s List, given others as gifts to children, and kept two for myself.
Dad’s clock collection sat in storage for over 20 years—not forgotten, just ignored. Other interests and projects required his attention until ill health consumed his life.
This year I’m rummaging through my valuables and giving them as gifts to my children and grandchildren. More will be given in the years ahead.
Yes, my descendants would still end up with them eventually, but why wait until I’m gone? The joy in a granddaughter’s eyes is worth the English tea cup and saucer nestled in the box along with a fresh bag of chocolate mint tea. Do I want to miss the appreciation of a son receiving his grandfather’s pocket watch and chain?
Bottom line—I can’t afford to ignore my stored treasures. They provide no joy as long as they sit on a dark shelf and eat up valuable storage space. Stored treasures are meant to become gifts of the heart.
What’s in your closet?
In Him together, Susan Gaddis
The New Year comes. May you experience the gift of simple days where the Holy walks with the ordinary. “I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God” (Eccl. 3:12–13 NIV).
Sometimes I forget to notice the simple joys that comprise my daily routine. A morning kiss served with a cup of coffee, the fresh smell of laundry cleaned, a meal together at the end of the day—these are the threads weaving my life into holy days.
Most of us are oblivious to the Holy tucked away in the corners of our life. We want the sparkle and flashing lights that come with the announcement of angels and the riches of the wise men. But Christmas is over and a New Year awaits us. I hope this year to embrace the simple more.
In The Rest of God, Mark Buchanan comments, “This is a gift of God: to experience the sacred amidst the commonplace—to taste heaven in our daily bread, a new heaven and new earth in a mouthful of wine, joy in the ache of our muscles or the sweat of our brows.”
Where do you find the sacred amidst the commonplace? What are the simple joys that tie the Holy to your day?
Cleanup is not my favorite Christmas ritual. Twenty-five big and little people make lots of messes, so I cleaned the kitchen six times on Christmas. Tom took the last shift. He also bagged wrinkled wrapping paper and vacuumed before I tided up the house.
I decided this year to approach the obvious with an attitude of ritual. The seasons, patterns, and decor of holidays vary, but the ritual of cleanup remains. Recognizing it as part of the holy in the “holyday” creates a place for honoring Christ in the mundane part of the celebration.
A. W. Tozer once said, “It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, but why he does it.” Approaching the kitchen sink as holy ground cradles my work in a positive perspective. Sitting to rest my back every so often also helps.
I don’t know what my job assignment will be in the new heaven or new earth, but my resume will definitely list: “Exceptional Maid, Cook, and Bottle Washer.” I hope it also notes, “Works with a positive attitude.”
In Him together, Susan Gaddis
God’s voice in the ear of my mind sounds so ordinary as I sit with eyes engaging the monitor and fingers clicking the keyboard. At 5 o’clock in the morning my life doesn’t feel holy. It feels like I need a cup of coffee.
Most disciplines hold little of the sacred moments that speak to me of holy. Yet, it is my disciplines that make space in my day to notice His voice behind me speaking, “This is the way. Walk in it.”
I hear that voice when I write. “Back up. Rewrite that paragraph. You’re straying off topic. That sounds better. Hit spell check.” Funny how the Holy Spirit can sound so ordinary.
Maybe it is the dark fog outside my study window at pre-dawn that reminds me of His quiet presence. Or perhaps it is in the stillness of the house before the rest of the family wakes that I sense His nudge towards the coffee pot. I know this: God likes coffee and He often sneaks up behind me in the disciplines of my day.
What does the Spirit say to you as you go about the routine disciplines that make up your daily life?
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