Blessings in the Mundane

A year ago, I thought I had nothing to write about. My day-to-day life was... well... mundane. Laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, driving... there was nothing special there.

But see what God can do in a year! He has revealed to me how even the mundane can be special. There is joy in all that God has given us.

Which leads me to say... I love folding laundry! Or, excuse me, I REALLY ENJOY folding laundry. (see an earlier post, Love, for an explanation)

I know that admitting this will cause some of you to label me as 'mentally unsound', but hear me out! Let me show you how the chore of folding laundry can become a joyous task. 

First, my husband's boxers. Pardon my frankness, but the day I no longer have to fold my husband's boxers will be a sad one for me. I think back to my life ten years ago, and how things were so different. Before marriage, I never folded boxer shorts!

Then I hold up a shirt that I think is my husband's, before realizing that it belongs to my son! How much he has grown-- he is halfway to sixteen! Contrasting, I fold several of the baby's clothes, and marvel at how my firstborn has gone from a tiny 7-pound baby to a grown boy.

And that is how I fold laundry. I don't stop at every piece of clothing (because then I would never be done!) but a pair of pants or a shirt may remind me of a funny moment in the day with my two-year-old, or a favorite dress of my daughter reminds me of her spunky personality. By the time I am done, there are six piles of clothes around me, reminding me of the six biggest blessings in my life.

And so, this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the mundane.

I am thankful for the moments in the minivan full of kids when we can talk, sing, and laugh-- even in traffic.

I am thankful that I have a minivan that is working and reliable.

I am thankful, oh so thankful, that I don't have to wash clothes by hand.

I am thankful for the floors in the house that I can vacuum and sweep.

I am thankful for a refrigerator and pantry full of food.

I am thankful for the one-on-one time on the changing table that ends in a giggle and a hug.

And of course, I am thankful for the bigger things: a loving and faithful husband, five healthy happy children, my own health, a caring church community, and my God and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Wherever you may be, and whatever your situation, I wish you a happy Thanksgiving!