More about Larry

I can't leave my imaginary friend Larry behind with just one post. His mantra is central to finding joy and peace as an unshowered, average, goobered-on climbing gym -err- mother. Never seeking to be on a best-sellers list or even pitch his idea to an editor, the quiet monk shared how he practiced the presence of God with a friend in a humble hand written letter.

 “I do this simply by keeping my attention on God and by being generally and lovingly aware of Him.  This could be called practicing the presence of God moment by moment, or to put it better, a silent, secret and nearly unbroken conversation of the soul with God.” 

Brother Lawrence didn’t do anything great, per se. And it wasn’t what he did at all, but rather his frame of mind in doing tedious, mundane, dare-I-say boring work. In his words, “We must not grow weary of doing little things for the love of God, who looks not on the great size of the work, but on the love in it.”

It’s not the size of the task, but the love in it that matters. I just adore that he figured that out while doing the humdrum. If he practiced the presence of God while fighting war or under severe persecution, it would mean less to me - but he did it washing dishes and fixing shoes. I think it was what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote "whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).  It just becomes real to me written by a quiet monk. Paul was, well, Paul.  

God sees my heart. A heart that certainly does not glorify him every step of the way as Brother Lawrence honed his heart to. My attitude while parenting can’t possibly be pleasing to God some, well more than some, of the time. My daily mental conversations could be called colorful at best. In honesty, there are moments of drudgery. Don't misunderstand me, its easy to be thankful for the big picture. I have a deep deep joy (which I cannot even put into words) found in this journey of being a mom. But still, there are flashes of hair pulling hassle, and even the occasional over-dramatized pity party. How can it all be done for the glory of God?  Not just the important stuff, but all of it?  I think of my pal Larry and his example of practicing the presence of God, of love being poured into the minute tasks, when I’m changing diapers, cleaning dishes, and when I bend over for the millionth time to pick up whatever toy has just impaled the arch of my foot.

At a distance, the small tasks of being a mom seem palatable. Put baby to sleep. Clean gooey baby food and noodles off floor. Wipe boogers. Help brother in bathroom. Help sister do homework. Taken one at a time, they seem trivial.  But sometimes the baby won’t sleep and I’ve cleaned the floor 3 times already today. I struggle to disregard the size of the task and focus on the love I could pour into it for the glory of the Lord.

At some point, when your little brother was an infant, I had the following experience, all before 9 a.m., and scribbled it down on a piece of paper.

Today – for the record

·         The baby fussed all night

·         My hands smell like poop.

·         The computer crashed

·         I need a band-aid, possibly stitches, on my chest

For the preservation of your innocence, I've just deleted the full explanation of that last senario. Your welcome. I will say that nursing is not all bliss- and that if you don't take care of problems early, it can get rather gory and leave you making that infamous bitter-beer-face every time the babe latches. This would not have been a problem for your brother however, he could have successfully nursed a coconut. My point being- how can I possibly give glory when the small tasks get insurmountable?

It makes the challenge to “Render service with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to men” (Ephesians 6:7 HCSB) unfathomable.

As moms, we serve.  If we serve for our children there is reward some of the time. But here is what I’m starting to realize, if we focus on serving Christ as parents rather than focus on serving kids, there is always eternal reward.  Perhaps the duties become mundane because, the skills required to change a blow-out aren’t highly esteemed. But that’s just what Brother Lawrence spoke against; he said it’s not the size of the task. It is the love in it.

Who knows- if you take your eyes off the diaper mess for a moment you might just notice the gummy smile of the babe staring up at you. Glory.