In Sunday school we talk about the Spiritual Disciplines and I share a little about my recent class. I tell them the definition our teacher gave us.
The discipline is defined by its fruit, she said. A spiritual practice is anything that brings you closer to God.
Later, I’m getting ready for our small group, which meets at our house every other week. We’ve been going through the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan and I love my peeps but my house is a wreck and there is sweeping and mopping and dusting to do. When we started this thing we agreed we wouldn't go crazy on the hospitality. It's all about Jesus, we said. And they promised grace. And I know this is true, but still, Lucy is shedding like its summer and the toilets need cleaned.
It’s been a busy week with Jeff’s dad’s surgery and me trying to get ready for a trip and there are so many things that still need doing but as I make my way across the kitchen floor I realize that I don’t mind this at all. Housework is not my favorite thing but I’m listening to Matt Kearney and humming along and I find that I can’t wait to see my friends.
Mopping the floor is such a sweet, sweet thing. When Love is my help mate.
How about you? How do you embrace the God-joy? Every Monday I’ll be sharing one of my Playdates with God. I would love to hear about yours. It can be anything: outside, quiet time. Maybe it’s solitary. Maybe it’s loud and crowded. Just find Him. Be with Him. And come tell us about it.
The discipline is defined by its fruit, she said. A spiritual practice is anything that brings you closer to God.
Later, I’m getting ready for our small group, which meets at our house every other week. We’ve been going through the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan and I love my peeps but my house is a wreck and there is sweeping and mopping and dusting to do. When we started this thing we agreed we wouldn't go crazy on the hospitality. It's all about Jesus, we said. And they promised grace. And I know this is true, but still, Lucy is shedding like its summer and the toilets need cleaned.
It’s been a busy week with Jeff’s dad’s surgery and me trying to get ready for a trip and there are so many things that still need doing but as I make my way across the kitchen floor I realize that I don’t mind this at all. Housework is not my favorite thing but I’m listening to Matt Kearney and humming along and I find that I can’t wait to see my friends.
Mopping the floor is such a sweet, sweet thing. When Love is my help mate.
How about you? How do you embrace the God-joy? Every Monday I’ll be sharing one of my Playdates with God. I would love to hear about yours. It can be anything: outside, quiet time. Maybe it’s solitary. Maybe it’s loud and crowded. Just find Him. Be with Him. And come tell us about it.
Sharing with L.L. Barkat today also:
19 comments:
awesome - mopping with love. i usually mop with a scowl.
That's very Brother Lawrence of you!
Can't wait to see you either! And thanks for the short, sweet definition of spiritual practice.
I'm looking forward to reading that book after I finish RADICAL by David Platt. How awesome it must be to study right alongside other Christian women! LOVE IT!
"Mopping the floor is such a sweet, sweet thing. When Love is my help mate." Thank you for reminding me of this Laura!! Housework tends to rub me the wrong way and this perspective just fixes that little rub!!
Oh Laura, I love this perspective. May I remember to wear love as a helpmate the next time I have to mop (or any other chore).
I'm wrestling with this idea:
If it's worth doing at all, it's worth doing with Love. As if for Him.
i love mat kearney. :)
i so wish i could visit with you this coming weekend. someday...
Megan has it. You sound like Brother Lawrence, washing dishes (or floors, in your case) to the glory of God. Many blessings from God and open ears for you at Laity this weekend. So many lovely people in one place!
Would you believe I've been having too many playdates in the past few days to write about a playdate? True. But I loved reading about your mopping date:) Have a wonderful time this weekend! After you posted about it, I seriously looked at my calendar in dream land. Husband is in CA for board meetings, so I had my answer. Hope you'll share about it! Blessings and try not to miss mopping too much while you're gone:)
I was in a small group study that discussed that book this past year!
Mopping... oh, one of the many spiritual practices that I see (avoid?) each day. I need this perspective. :)
May you have a wonderful retreat. Someday, for me as well. :)
I have heard some say they have no time to pray, and no time to praise the Lord. Here you have shown us how to pray and praise while cleaning house! Why not pray without ceasing as the Bible says, while we work. Thank you for hosting this blog hop.
Yes, this reminds me of Brother Lawrence, who, I recall, seemed to find spiritual practice in all the mundane chores. It's so much about our attitude, our place of the heart, isn't it?
This made me think of the reflections on work before talking about Sabbath that I've been reading from Mark Buchanan's 'the Rest of God'...I've been laughing at the less-than-holy way I view changing poopy diapers and such;} I'm thankful for the chance to grow:} hugs:}:}:}
I'm not going to win any housekeeping awards, but I really enjoy cleaning the floors (mopping, vacuuming and sweeping)...especially with Pandora playing a mix of my favorite Christian music.
My couples small group studied Crazy Love last year. It's certainly not a book to make you feel good about yourself, but I loved it! Very challenging and very convicting.
when Love is my help mate... Beautiful.
Sometimes I like to say Help Meet, cause he 'meets' me when I'm trying to help myself to a large portion of Poor Pitiful Me Pie (usually as I'm doing this never ending laundry.) I even wrote a little country ditty about it... pshh. =)
oops... yep, I cut and colored my hair about a month ago... I was feelin' sassy that day for sure!
I love your site! You just got yourself a new fan. Following you via GFC. Playing Blog hop tag, YOU'RE IT! Tag me back at:
http://my-bloggityblog.blogspot.com/ and on facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bloggity-Blog/26056409064411 God bless!
It's great to take a vacation, to take a step away from it all, and then to come back and see the real world with new eyes! Blessings from the Philippines! :^) patsy
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