Sometimes I just get tired of doing another load of laundry, putting a child in time-out again, and cleaning up the toys I just cleaned up a few minutes ago.  

The Mundane

Performing the same tasks, in the same space, for the same people, can feel mundane at times. I know these daily tasks and others are important and necessary, but usually they interspersed throughout the rhythm of a busy and full life.

Being in quarantine in the same small space for 70 out of the last 98 days has meant doing a lot more of the necessary tasks, and doing a lot less of other things. Sometimes my spirit wants to rebel.  

Craving Something More Noble

If I’m going to be serving, it sounds so much more glamorous and exciting to be out doing Mother Teresa-esque type service.   Sometimes it’s harder to love those close to us and perform the simple, but needed service than it is to serve those far away.

Helen Keller said, “I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” I’ve been thinking about her words lately, and wondering how can I find more sacred in the mundane.  

How to Find Nobility in the Mundane

I’m not sure I have the answer.  But asking the question has allowed me to find some small moments of the sacred amid simple tasks.  

As I was washing dishes, I stopped to notice the tingle as my hands warmed up under the steady stream of water from the faucet.  During dinner, I looked into my daughter’s eyes and enjoyed a moment of connection. As I filled my water bottle, I reflected on the blessing of clean drinking water.  

There IS sacred in the mundane. We find nobility in our simple tasks when we look for the sacred. 

How to Find the Sacred in the Mundane

1. List the mundane tasks you do each day
2. Next to each task list WHY you are doing it
3. Then list who it matters to–don’t forget yourself
4. Then ask yourself what would be the impact if you didn’t have the opportunity to do that thing