Just being normal

Have you ever wondered if you are doing enough for God and humankind? Years ago a dear friend shared with me her frustration and feelings of inadequacy. I thought much about her comments, and decided she was short-changing God and herself. I also knew that, in her humanity and normalcy, she had verbalized what the rest of us were thinking! We think (let's change that to "feel") that if we aren't making a huge splash in the waters of life, we are on the edge of failure and anonymity. Not true! In reading and absorbing the message of the Gospels, there is one thought that leaps out: Jesus went about doing good, quietly, unobtrusively, and with incredible meekness. That should be good enough for us.

Robert Collyer penned it so well: "There is a great deal we never think of calling religion that is still fruit unto God, and garnered by Him in the harvest. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, patience, goodness. I affirm that if these fruits are found in any form, whether you show your patience as a woman nursing a fretful child, or as a man attending to the vexing detail of a business, or as a physician following the dark mazes of sickness, or as a mechanic fitting the joints and valves of a locomotive; being honest and true besides, you bring forth truth unto God." How wonderful! Whether we are mopping the kitchen, comforting a sick child, passing a bill in Congress, winning a case for an indigent client - whatever - we are walking in His path. God has such a large heart!

"The mistake of mistakes is to think that holiness consists in great or extraordinary things, beyond the reach of ordinary men. It has been well said, `Holiness does not consist in doing uncommon things well, but in doing common things uncommonly well.' Few can ever do great things, and the few who can do them can do but few. But everyone can study the will of God, and can give great diligence to know it and to do what he knows. Your daily round of duty is your daily path to come nearer unto God" (E.B. Pusey).

This is such a wonderful reminder that we are doing God's work in the midst of common duties. I would much rather write, so I have to remind myself that cook, iron and dust are not dirty four-letter words!

Gracious Father, help us to remember that You are with us in the midst of duties, both lowly and highly!