Our lives, as Christians, should be one of worship. Standing at a sinkful of dirty dishes or over a pail of dirty diapers (does anyone even use cloth diapers anymore?) or pushing a vacuum or mowing the lawn is worshipful if we have the right spirit.
Today, my list of chores include mucking out the barn. I’ll take shovels, rakes, a wheel barrow, dogs and cats with me to rid the barn of manure and mud, making it nice and clean again for the horses and sheep that use it for shelter. As I move manure from ground to wheel barrow to garden, hymns are sung, prayers are said and worship is attained.
Perhaps we sometimes think of worship as churchy…we have to be in the proper place, with the proper clothing, with the proper attitude but I say the place we are in, at this moment, is the proper place as long as we have the proper attitude.
I can just as easily worship God while I’m mucking the barn as I can sitting in a pew. Some days I can worship Him a lot better because I’m surrounded by His creation and not that made of man’s hands.
The Christian life is difficult enough, don’t make it more difficult by going all legalistic and thinking life has to be lived by a list of rules. God won’t swarp us with a big stick should when we fail Him. His correction is loving and kind if when we approach with a spirit of repentance. That too is worship. His mercies are new every morning, everlasting to everlasting and worship now is simply practicing for what we’ll experience for all eternity.
Joining with Jen, Finding Heaven Today, and Lisa-Jo in Five Minute Friday – Worship.
P. S. It’s going to take me a while to respond to your kind comments left on the last post…but I will, please give me time. True confession bids me tell you when I pour out my broken heart to you, I have faith you’ll respond with kindness. You’ve never let me down and your loving words and prayers are a balm to my brokenness. Thank you is so small but truly heart felt; only God can repay your kindness to me and my prayer is, over each of you, He’ll pour out His unlimited and unceasing blessings on you, yours and the work of your hands and heart.
Blessings ~ God’s faithfulness ~ worship ~ His creation ~ chores ~
Well, I used mostly cloth when my now 11-year-old son was in diapers, although I could only find them at Target.
I think of communing with God all day long, which may include praise, worship, supplication, intercession, or just conversation. 😉
I have never mucked a barn … but love it that it was worship for you.
Fondly,
Glenda
This is my absolute favorite line: but I say the place we are in, at this moment, is the proper place as long as we have the proper attitude.
May we have proper attitudes daily…may we worship Him no matter where we are. Amen.
I belioeve that the early Celtic Christians had this understanding of "prayer in everything" and had prayers for all circumstances
Here's a lovely modern Celtic prayer, by Kathy Reiter :
God bless the feet that have dirtied the floor, wherever they may be now.
Those feet of Jim, Katie, Sarah and Michael.
The feet of family friends and their friends. Bless them as they drive cars, run in sports and walk the halls of home and school.
Then there would be the paws of those have left this fur behind;
I’m grateful for the joy of pets.
Bless Jim who provides this home
And our church who is its caretaker
It’s with gratitude that I sweep crumbs of food we’ve dropped.
Gratitude for the nourishment you’ve provided us,
and gratitude for the time as a family at the table.
As I clean the floor with water now I’m reminded of how you wipe us clean.
I’m relieved to give this floor a new start
But I wonder if you are as easily annoyed when I sully your cleaning as I am when my family sullies mine.
So, the floor shines, Lord.
It shines until life enters that door again!
I’ll set the broom and mop aside
Until you and I return to bless this floor again
I agree with you that our lives ought to be ones of worship. All too often I get caught up in worshiping the wrong things and it takes an intentionality to focus on worshiping Jesus instead of the various idols that would have my heart. The older I get the more I see these things that distract, but I also find it easier to focus on Jesus, too.
Blessings from tx,
Leslie
This is wonderful! The barn-cleeing-prayer and the conviction you have!
Incredible shoot of the deer with the babies drinking!
I readtoday: Give everything to God for getting all and the perfect freedom of the heart.
You are not ar away from this, Thistle!
Ah, I understand. I have had horses all my life. When my husband left me, I had 5 well-bred quarter horses–each one with its own personality, and each my "baby." Every morning before work I had to tend them; each evening after work–after dark many days–I had to feed them and make sure they had water or that it was not frozen. Sourcing hay, see that it was stacked, moving it to the horses as they needed–it was a LOT to do for a single woman. I loved my horses dearly. I gave them away to good homes, sweetening the deal with my tack. I will pray for you. You will know when it is time to stop. Love, Stickhorse C
That's hard work, but after the chores are done I feel I am
closer to God. Bless you Darling
Lady. yvonne
I love this post and this way of thinking…pray without ceasing…
You are 100% correct!! But I needed a little validation on this, for some reason.. so thank you from the bottom of my heart 🙂 I've been doing a LOT of worship alongside stall-mucking chores & such lately. Hymn singing too – thank goodness the donkeys don't seem to mind my singing 😉 Bless ya! -Tammy
You are right.
Yes, you don't need a brick and mortar building to worship, just watching the moon coming up over the mountains is a great place to worship.
Sandra,
I so do agree with you that we ought to worship the Lord right where we are. I am especially thinking of and worshiping God and praying for others when I'm working outdoors too. It just seems natural. I wish you blessing and joy as you complete your chores today and that you can honestly give thanks for the work of your hands.
~Jody
P.S. my daughter does use cloth diapers on her baby! New-fangled style, but washables.
I bet the animals loved your worship song!
Sandra,
What a beautiful truth! I'm singing and worshiping right along with you as I work through each day!
Amen to all this, dear friend.
Dearest Sandra, I love to worship-where ever I am. I used to teach my daughter's that when you are having a bad day, turn your voice to praise and your day will get better. I so needed this today and your post from earlier this week. I know that it is only His grace that keeps you going without your Dave. Your posts cause me to look at my own grumbling and pity party and realize that I do still have my man here and am thankful for that-even when he is a grumpy old man who doesn't delight in our life. He is in need of the Savior's grace and much as I am. Thank you for always causing me to look upward.
May His blessings, peace and strength be yours today.
Lots of love and hugs.
Noreen
I appreciate your heart of worship- thank you for the reminder 🙂
Sandra, I believe that caring for the animals is supremely important, especially as you are carrying on this tradition which you and Dave began. What would Dave say about this? Maybe that is the answer. What would Dave say right now? much love, darling…
My own worship is all I seek now. I'll never darken a church door again unless it's to attend a funeral or some such event. I've had enough of their sanctimonious man-made baloney to last a lifetime.
Hey, man, we're the one's blessed too you know. 🙂 To read your words of wisdom and for you to so expertly put into words the junk that's banging around in my fuzzy brain. That's talent! Here lately I'm doing mental blogging. [ha ha] Can't seem to bring myself to put pen to paper and let it rip like you can. I've hit a wall. I sure admire how you can understand feelings so deeply. It's like painting a picture that in your mind on paper so everyone can see it.
I mowed today while hubby is off in another State visiting family. (It's gonna be a long weekend.) I tried to imagine how it would be not being able to share every little detail of my life with someone who really cares. The thought of such an event made me feel deeply empty. It actually made me cry. So often I think many of us take for granted how nice it is to tell someone we treasure "I cleaned the floor today" and they actually think that's wonderful and want to hear more. That kind of closeness is a precious thing not to be wasted. Thank God (literally) HE cares that much, and more, and even wants to hear how I also cleaned the kitchen sink.
Luv ~:)
true my friend – whether we eat or drink or whatever we do – do it all for the glory of the Lord – 'cause He is the originator of all good things. Mucking out in worship – belonged to a few congregations who needed to muck out a bit! hehehe
A lovely reminder that all our lives are to be worship. I will take this thought with me today.
You've said it right. When we are a true Christian our desire is then to please God. Not through a set of rules but through obedience to what He asks of us. And yes, lots of young mothers still use cloth diapers. I know quite a few myself. Have a wonderful weekend.
I really like your outlook on what it is to be a christian. 🙂
I enjoyed your post and I agree. It's wonderful to worship God surrounded by his creation. It's a gentle reminder of how big he is and how small we are.