Everyday Tasks

Finding joy in the things that must be done

Maybe the hardest part of a first post is where to begin. What do you need to know about me? What’s a proper introduction? I’m just going to dive in with life—this season, current happenings.

This week I found out that I’m nearly a perfect match for my brother’s stem cell transplant to combat Acute Myeloid Leukemia. I immediately called him, and we talked excitedly about the details, timeline, and awe of DNA and siblings and parents and ancestors and all that comes together for something like this to take place. It’s mind-blowing if you think about it! God & science right there together.

While I’m on Cloud 9 with this news, there was the cancelling of a family vacation with all of our kids (ages 20 to 30) and another week-long commitment I had made. My word is big to me, and even when circumstances are out of my control I hate not sticking to what I committed to. Once the calls were made, however, I felt some freedom in a blank calendar this summer while we wait to learn the transplant dates.

There were more ascents and dips and turns and whooshing freefalls this week as my 20-year-old son is a week and a half into inpatient rehab. He called us with his phone pass on Day 7 after detox (yay!). His counselor called the next day saying he was talking about leaving (boo! hiss!). His counselor called on Day 9 to say the kid had slept on it and had some clarity and verbally committed to at least 30 days (yay!). The kid called shortly after to ask if I could drop off cigarettes (whatever keeps him there!).

Life is like that. One minute it’s kind, and the next minute it’s coming at you like Will Smith walking across the stage.

What am I learning this week?

This photo shows where I was and what I was doing when I got most of those calls--cleaning and mopping & waxing floors at our event venue in preparation for a wedding. My body does not care for this work and has been screaming at me every day. My soul doesn’t like this kind of work either because it’s…well, cleaning. But as I dusted and shined floors and steamed tablecloths and scrubbed toilets, I found a rhythm of prayer and peace.

So often the most important work we do is the most insignificant from the world’s point of view. I’m learning to be more committed and consistent to the everyday tasks that are the hardest to initiate. I’m learning to use the time in those tasks as connection with God, praying Lord, please keep them as I sling the mop and Thank you, God, for one more day as I wipe the tables and Break the strongholds, Father as I scrape gum off the floor and Show me, Jesus as I clean the mirrors.

I’m learning to pray without ceasing and find the blessings and miracles in the everyday tasks.