Sanctifying the Ordinary

"And what do you do?"

"I'm a wife and a mum."

But that isn't the full story!  I'm a child of God, loved and redeemed, and while that may not be enough for the 2011 UK mindset, it is for me.  As long as I don't listen to the seeds of doubt planted in my mind.  A couple of weeks ago I was doing the dangerous thing of navel-gazing and wondering what I'd achieved in my life, and what I should be doing with my life, especially when our youngest goes to school.  It wasn't entirely misguided: I do want to make sure I'm doing the things God wants me to do.  Then He spoke to me.  "Sanctify the ordinary."  Of course!  How could I forget?  I have heard it all before - that as I'm doing the laundry or washing dishes or kissing a bumped knee I should do it all for the glory of God, because it really matters to God.  But sanctifying it - setting it apart, making it holy, special, different - seems to bring it on to another level.  It's not just doing the chores without grumbling so God will be pleased; it's making it count eternally.

Yesterday we were so blessed to have a bride leave for her wedding from our house, using our home to get dressed in.  What can be more ordinary than two people coming together and getting married?  It happens all the time.  It's certainly not extraordinary.  And yet it is so special, and I was honoured to participate in sanctifying the ordinary simply by opening up the home God has given us, and by hosting the bride's father in our spare room too.  Such a small thing and such a big thing.