Faithfulness

Do you ever think about how many times you load your dishwasher? Do the same load of laundry? Mow the yard? Vacuum the carpet, etc.? When Chris died life seemed to divide for me, into the life before he died and the life after. The tasks, however, did not. I still load, unload and load the dishwasher every day. I still do laundry. The maintenance things of life don't stop just because our lives change. Early on, I waffled back and forth as to whether these things were more annoyance or comfort. I was tired, I had zero energy for much and I wanted to spend what little I had on and with my kids.

This arrived in my inbox today, further proof to me that God has invaded my email and continues to pursue my spirit with an unrelenting love and persistence:

"Faithfulness is the consecration in overalls. It is the steady acceptance and performance of the common duty and immediate task without any reference to personal preferences-because it is there to be done, and so is a manifestation of the Will of God... The fruits of the Spirit get less and less showy as we go on. Faithfulness means continuing quietly with the job we have been given, in the situation where we have been placed; not yielding to the restless desire for change. It means tending the lamp quietly for God without wondering how much longer it has got to go on. Steady, unsensational driving, taking good care of the car. A lot of the road to heaven has to be taken at 30 miles per hour." - Evelyn Underhill

And so He continues to coax me into deeper relationship with Him, encouraging me to stay in that relationship even when I am baffled by Him. Our loving Lord is dedicated to His daily tasks of loving and pursuing US. I'm grateful for the example of His faithfulness and persistence...it's the model of how to live that has kept me going for almost five months now. When the worst thing I could imagine actually happened God Himself picked me back up and said live.

Grace for your journey,
Leigh