I read somewhere recently about a woman who felt like an absolute failure as a wife if she went to bed with dirty dishes in the sink. Well, that’s hilarious, I thought. Many mornings I’m greeted with pans that I left to “soak” in order to dislodge dinner’s grimy residue (yeah, that’s doing nothing and we all know it). Plus, the priority is washing the coffee pot for the next morning and by that point I think I’ve done enough.
I spend a good deal of time with this view. The retro green basins that I hope we never change. The dish detergent bottle with the cap that I never bother to close. The once drippy faucet that my husband recently fixed (thanks, babe). The lucky bamboo plant, given to me by a student, in the window that somehow hasn’t died yet despite its dire need to be repotted. My grandmother’s teapot on the shelf to my left and my great-grandmother’s salt and pepper shakers on the shelf to my right.
In fact, it’s our kitchen sink that inspired me to take 8 weeks to reflect on the boring places that I find myself on a routine basis. Originally, I was going to call this little project “Here I Stand,” but my love for alliteration won out over the not-so-subtle Luther nod. Through pictures and words, I’m hoping to slow down and gain some perspective on the meaningful mundane. Because it’s here in the ordinary that I think we’re often most prone to miss God.
I think of David’s poem in Psalm 139, where he asks, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” (vs. 7). He answers his own questions with a wide range of locations:
“If I ascend to heaven, You are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me and Your right hand shall hold me.” (vs. 8-10)
By choosing such opposite extremes, David emphasizes the vastness of God’s providence and provision. In the highest of highs, in the lowest of lows, He is present.
But to be honest, on most days, I’m not soaring through the heavens or descending into death’s pit (thank goodness). Most days are spent in the in-between, the commonplace, the ordinary. And it’s here that I have to remember that David’s examples are not exclusive; they provide the incomprehensible range of God’s involvement. So yes, He’s there in the edges of life experience, high and low. But He’s also in the middle.
God is working in the midst of regular life, so stay faithful, friends. Acknowledge His presence in the small things. If I go to the kitchen sink, He is there! If I make my literal bed in the morning, He is there! If I fly in my car down I-85 or live my work-day routine day in and day out, even there His hand shall lead me and His right hand shall hold me.
Cultivate. 