This article originally appeared as an email devotional for Thrive Moms – if you aren’t part of that community, I would encourage you to check it out. In addition to email devotionals, they offer Bible studies and in-real-life community opportunities.
I want.
I wish.
I need.
It’s not fair.
Why does she get to (fill in the blank) and I don’t?
I sat on the edge of my daughter’s bed a few weeks ago and listened to her share frustrations, wishes, and desires. After a fun summer of vacations, swim lessons, special trips, and memorable experiences our 5-year-old had gotten used to expecting her days to be filled with excitement and fun. As we settled into a more familiar and more ordinary routine, her heart longed for more. More fun, more toys, more treats, and whatever special moments the next day held.
To be honest, I find myself saying some of those same things as I wash another sink full of dishes on a boring Wednesday morning because our dishwasher is broken and somehow three people need to use eight cups before lunchtime. I start dreaming of the next big project I could try, or the next job I might like to have. I imagine what the living room would look like with that new peel & stick wallpaper I saw online, and I wonder what it would take to plan a family trip to Colorado next summer.
I want.
I wish.
I need.
In those mundane days, the average afternoons when the hours blur together and the calendar onlyshows the day-to-day work required to keep our kids alive, our work moving forward, our marriages growing, our houses clean, it can be easy to get a case of “what’s next.” But as I sat there with my daughter I encouraged her to stop wishing for more and instead take a minute to look around her room, thanking God for all the small things she’s been given. We’re learning together that gratitude counteracts greed, and that when we stop wishing for more, bigger, better, and what’s next we can focus on the gloriously ordinary moments right in front of us.
There are, without a doubt, hard and thankless parts of motherhood. There are days that stretch on for an eternity and sweet family moments that are far too fleeting. Yet God does not call us here bymistake. Where we live, the community we have, the work we do, the families we’ve been entrusted to care for – none of it is a mistake. When I spend more time focusing on what might be next, I miss the opportunity to create a space that invites God to do what Jesus prayed in Matthew 6:10: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Today, we can embrace our calling to make our humble, everyday home lives a space that reflects the life that is to come.
Friends, what if we took those ordinary, mundane moments and embraced them as opportunities to live lives worthy of the gospel, to do kingdom work, right where we are? As citizens of heaven, we can embrace a greater purpose for each task we accomplish as we serve our families, neighbors, co-workers, and community with love.
REFLECTION
How do you keep yourself from falling into a “what’s next” mindset?
How could viewing your day-to-day activities as kingdom work change your attitude about the mundane days?
How does the reminder that God doesn’t make mistakes allow you to focus where He’s called you?