Thankful Tuesdays: The ministry of the mundane

I woke up this morning, did my quiet time and read this verse:

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

- 1 Corinthians 10:31

The stay home mum and/or homemaker's job is challenging and many a times, a thankless task.  After all, most days, you won't notice how the clothes end up neatly folded or hung in the wardrobe, until the article of clothing you urgently need is in the laundry bin.  Or how baby smells fresh and clean even though he's been pooping 12 times a day.

Little thought usually is spent wondering how dinner ends up on the table, and how the plates get miraculously washed up at the end of the day.  Or about how much effort it actually takes to keep the house neat and tidy.  It is the things that are not done that are glaringly obvious:  the overflowing laundry basket, the dust on the shelves, the tornado of toys that are strewn across the whole house, or the dinner that is late... while things that are done are usually just fade into the background.  Its no wonder that some of our mums who stay home end up becoming rather bitter about not being appreciated, or become very tired of it all.  There is no promotion for washing dishes well, no performance bonus for consistently getting home-cooked meals on the table everyday.  The work is never-ending, and the rewards, hardly tangible.

I do admit that in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of daily chores and the caring of my family, I sometimes forget that home-making, staying home and even the care of children is a ministry in itself.  What sometimes is seen as a maid's job are ways that I can serve the needs of my family.  That my time spent in wiping spills, cleaning art messes, wiping poopy butts are part and parcel of the journey in raising boys, who might eventually be the heads of their own households.  That cooking healthy meals to fill the stomach of my family can matter, even though there is no certificate or award to show for it.

So today, with this reminder, I am most thankful for this blessing of being able to stay home and manage my own little household.  To be able to spend time with my boys, cuddling the baby while cheering the older one as he valiantly tries to poop in his potty ("go away poopoo, you cannot escape", we shout).  Being fed play food throughout the day from an imaginary fruit stall.  Having random birthday parties where everyone (including a whole menagerie of animals) wears "sugar hats" and sings "Happy birthday to mama and Juju!" and eats birthday cake that looks suspiciously like alphabets:

I am also thankful that while it is a tiring job, there is someone to share the journey and the burdens with, and that he is so willing to help out at home.  Of course, the days where we take a break from the mundane and eat out are nice too!

And I am most thankful that while some days may be overwhelming (like when baby refuses to naps and cries and you end up having to cook with one hand and nurse the baby in the other... or when everything seems to go wrong), we can always lean on the promise that we can do all things through Him.  And that He will give us strength for each day.

It is a ministry of the mundane.  But I am thankful that it is a ministry that matters, and that I can be a part of it.  What are you thankful today?