Beauty in Mundane

mun·dane

ˌmənˈdān/

adjective

1. 1.

   lacking interest or excitement; dull.

   "seeking a way out of his mundane, humdrum existence"

   synonyms:

   humdrum, dull, boring, tedious, monotonous, tiresome, wearisome,unexciting, uninteresting, uninvolving, uneventful, unvarying,unremarkable, repetitive, repetitious, routine, ordinary, everyday, day-to-day, run-of-the-mill, commonplace, workaday; More

 I know as mom's we often use the word mundane ... "I'm tired of all of the mundane tasks" or at least "I'm so bored doing the same thing over and over and over again everyday." I've been there. I've been there a lot. In our house there is always at least a load or two of laundry to be done, even if I just finished four. There is always a meal to make, or a meal to clean up, or a meal to plan. There is always at least one floor in our house that needs swept, a toilet scrubbed...and don't get me started on my glass shower doors! They are , truly, the bane of my existence. So much so that I don't bother with them ... I figure the shower must be a pretty clean place since a lot of soap and water and  happens in there right? I'm one of these people that actually enjoys cleaning - it's the cleaning with the need to exercise with the need to read to a kid with the need to clean up a puddle of pee that gets me. It's exhausting. It's "a truck ran over me" most nights. 

Mundane ... boring, tedious, TIRESOME, run -of- the mill. 

I feel like "mundane" associated with "motherhood" is such an oxymoron though. I mean, having little kids is anything but boring. I don't think I've ever had a "run of the mill" conversation with one of my kids, watching them grow is pretty darn exciting, although their training can be tedious if I focus too much on "my way" instead of "working with their uniqueness. But still, let's be honest, it can be hard doing the same thing day after day, especially if you are isolated and tucked away in your four walls of home. 

My reality is, the husband works away and I work at home. We wanted this life for a huge host of reasons, that I won't get into here...but the main one being - we thought it best for our children. Eleven and a half years in, four kids, a move across the country, two firefighter recruit schools ... I still want this life but often I can get pretty caught up in "but who am I really? I've never been able to shine, I don't matter to the world, I have no talents to offer...I have no degree... I'm pretty stinkin invisible." Scrubbing away at baked on scrambled egg pans was not my picture of "making a difference." It just wasn't. Neither was 10 years of diapers...or currently, changing my boys from boy to spider man to superman to minion 100 times a day. 

My husband started Paramedic School this morning. Up until a week ago I was pretty anxious about the change of daily schedule that was going to be happening. Basically I was going to be thrown into 6 months of mundane, to bear by myself...and I was going to need to be a big girl when the man came home because he needs to study and rest his brain. In my heart I kept pumping myself up with "I got this, I'm good at schedules" but then in reality I remember my track record of becoming overwhelmed and freaking out after a couple of months. Another words, I was very scared of being able to do it, but in the end not doing it really well. Having regrets. Can I say being selfish without to much backlash? 

And then I read something :

If God doesn't rule your mundane, then He doesn't rule you. Because that's where you live.

- Tripp

Dagger to the heart. A good pain...the convicting kind of "if this truth can reach my heart I could be different, I could grow" kind of pain. 

What if all of these mama tasks that I do hour upon hour could be my joy or "my pleasure" as they say at Chik Fil A. What if I could change the way I look at those dishes? What if I am actually part of the bigger picture - what if in 6 months I graduate from paramedic school because I was a needed support at home and I did it well. What if the laundry and praying for my little people can change the world? What if I am part of it all, not forgotten? What if I can praise God for my babies as I fold the laundry, think of all the wonderful things my husband is too me when I cook a meal, what if I could change my approach?  What if, I gave Him those struggles because He is Help. 

Giving our day to Him, our works to Him, reaching out to others even if the "others" are the souls in our own homes, is what its all about. These kids, these coworkers, this spouse, they are part of eternity. I can take care of them because He takes care of me. I can touch lives through my cookies, I can be an encouragement listening to my daughter squeak away on her recorder...I can touch MANY lives by giving my husband a comfortable home to come home to while he works to better himself so he can serve others...

Those in the background matter just as much as those on the stage.

We are not invisible, and although the tasks can seem boring at times our song doesn't have to be. He sees us and to Him we are gifted and beautiful and probably right where we need to be for now. Don't let them tell you otherwise...don't let you tell you otherwise...

There is glory in the mundane.