Today, one of my little ones is down with a stomach bug. It hasn’t been pretty. I’ll spare you the details, but let me just say my hubby will be picking up a carpet cleaner on his way home from work and the amount of laundry sitting in the corner has grown about 4x since 6:30am . . .
I finally convinced the sick one to take a nap, which gives me a moment to think and to type the thoughts stirring in my heart {though I should be washing all the clothing we’ve gone through today}.
It is so easy to lose sight of significance and calling when the days are long and the nights are longer. When the tasks are so simple, so mindless, so lowly. Soothe the screaming infant, fill another sippy cup, wash another load, kiss the pain away, wash lunch from the face and hands, fill another sippy cup, clean yet another mess, mop the floor again, make another dinner . . . none of this feels or looks significant or purposeful.
But the significance in all of this is that it is our offering to our King.
If I were to measure the size of my accomplishments today, I’ve got nothing {unless you count having a stomach of steal while cradling the sick one and cleaning up the messes}. This day has been worthless by that standard, it has been an utter waste.
However, each moment of this day has been a small offering to God for His glory. There is so much I could be doing, so much I want to be doing, but He has me here. The significance of the day is not found where I would expect it to be. After all, significance is found in the grandeur, in the accomplishment, in the spectacular calling . . . or is it?
Perhaps there is significance to be found in those things . . . but in searching for the grand, I think we often fail to see the significance of the lowly.
[bctt tweet=”In searching for the grand, we often fail to see the significance of the lowly . . .”]
For it is here, in the lowly, that we are able to humbly offer our small offerings of selflessness, patience, of love up to our King.
Today has been a day of small offerings. I desire the grand for significance, but He has asked me to offer Him all of me in the lowly. In the softly soothing the little one over his puke bowl as he panics. In tenderly changing his clothing when it gets soiled. In reminding him it’s ok as I clean the mess he was so devastated to have made.
In our minds, significance often lies in the eye of the beholder. Others must behold and proclaim our accomplishments significant. When the days are long and the nights are longer, our beholder is Christ dear momma friend. And He has called us to these days and nights, He has asked us to offer up these small offerings to Him . . . this is where our significant calling lies.
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it allfortheglory of God. -1 Corinthians 10:31
When the days are long and the nights are longer, when you don’t see the significance in your small offerings, Christ does. And if significance is in the eyes of the beholder, you are incredibly significant in this day, in this night, and each of these lowly tasks performed in worship to Him is beautiful. And each is full of significance because He noticed the need, placed you here, and has asked you to meet it.
When the days are long and the nights are longer, remember you were placed in this moment. You were asked to undertake this calling. And though this calling may not be full of grand accomplishments, it is full of small offerings for His great glory . . . and that is significant.
{Post linked at Graced Simplicity, The Deliberate Mom, This Sweet Life of Mine, A Mama’s Story, A Little R & R, Mom’s Morning Coffee}
Oh how I love this so much… I remember those ’empty wasted days’ caring for my sick little children and feeling frozen in the endless days and nights of a ‘wasteland’…
This is beautiful. I wish I had read this when I was desperately searching for significance in those draining and stressful moments.
Good for YOU for having such a Godly perspective when you are tired and overwhelmed at it all… God bless your faithfulness!!!
What a lovely and beautiful reminder. It’s so hard for us to see that significance when we’re doing “seemingly” lowly things. However we have a God who loves us and brings about glory even in the lowliest of tasks.
Thanks so much for this reminder (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).
Wishing you a lovely day.
xoxo
So very beautiful. I sometimes put too much significance in the beholders of this world and forget to see who I am in the eyes of my ultimate beholder, Christ. May I remember that all that I do is for His glory. 🙂
What a wonderful post! I almost wish I’d read it last week when Baby Boy was struggling with a cold/head cold, being clingy and whiny, and not wanting to be away from me for even a few minutes. Those days and nights were long, especially with the worrying about the sounds of his breathing with a stopped nose….
Nonetheless, it was good to read today. A great way to be reminded that the struggle and the frustration and the wanting to be left alone (for any length of time), while also still trying to tend to the house were worth it. That it was all very important (and not just for Baby Boy’s health) and meaningful and purpose-filled. Thank you! 🙂
Stopping over from Mama Moments Monday!
I can’t agree more!! I know this but it is always so good to be reminded!! I have had a long week with all of my kids being sick, thankfully not with the stomach bug, we have been there and you have my deepest sympathy, we had to throw out our rug:( It’s so hard and exhausting when all you are doing is tending to the needs of everyone one else and you don’t have a minute to yourself. But you are right God has called us right where we are and it is all for his glory!!! He is so faithful to fill us when we are empty!
I really loved this perspective. It makes the long days of feeling like I’m doing nothing, seem so much more important.
(visiting from the A Little R & R link-up)
[…] When the Days are Long (and the Nights are Longer) – Momma Minutes […]