Over 20 years ago I was in the midst of a lenten study and was feeling a little discouraged. Just like we hear every year, I was challenged to do something different, give something up, increase my spiritual practices, fast, pray more........you know the list. I would read devotional books written by great scholars and wonder "how in the world do you pray for hours at a time!?"
I can remember one early spring day vividly. We were living in Del Rio and I was standing in our back sunporch where my washing machine and ironing board were located. Our daughter was off to school and my husband was at work at the bank. I had done my morning quiet time and was now facing a huge mountain of ironing that I had let go too long. Waylon's dress shirts, slacks, cotton dresses, blouses.......ugh! I hate to iron. Then I remembered an entry I had read in one of my favorite daily readings (and this book is still one of my favorites).
Drudgery is one of the finest tests to determine the genuineness of our character. Drudgery is work that is far removed from anything we think of as ideal work. It is utterly hard, menial, tiresome, and dirty work. And when we experience it, our spirituality is instantly genuine. Read John 13. In this chapter, we see the Incarnate God performing the greatest example of drudgery - washing fishermen's feet. He then says to them, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet" (John 13:14) . The inspiration of God is required if drudgery is to shine with the light of God upon it. In work sanctified and holy forever. It may be a very common every day task, but after we have seen it done, it becomes different. When the Lord does something through us, He always transforms it. Our Lord takes our human flesh and transforms it, and now every believer's body has become "the temple of the Holy Spirit". (1 Corinthians 6:19). Oswald Chambers - from My Utmost for His Highest.
I write notes in my books and Bible and this passage spoke to me that day. I knew I wasn't going to be like a monk and pray for hours each morning and evening. I was pondering this quoted passage that day and facing the drudgery of ironing that large pile of clothing. So I just got started. I didn't move the ironing board to the living room in front of the TV, I simply left it where it lived and looked out at our back yard filled with plants, birds and squirrels. I started to iron. With each item I prayed. If it was one of my husband's dress shirts I prayed "Lord, speak to his heart- draw him to You". If it was one of Chelsea's school uniforms I might pray "Help her be a good student today, show Chelsea how to be kind to her friends and be Jesus to those around her". My prayers went on with each item I ironed. I ended up praying for hours that day. No I wasn't cloistered in a special place, but I was present with God and the items of clothing were prompts. It is amazing how a simple task, one of drudgery for me, can become a holy time of prayer.
All these years later that is still my practice when ironing. So it is one lenten practice that has become part of my regular life. Now my prayers are different - as I iron my husband's dress shirts I pray "Lord, when he wears this shirt, let him be your instrument of grace" (since he works as a chaplain now my prayers are much different than all of those times I simply prayed for him to know God). I also pray when I iron my own clothing, that I constantly be listening and obeying. For the most part I always iron in a quiet room, with no distractions. Do I now like to iron? NO! Yet because I open myself to God the common tasks of drudgery can become something truly holy.
Yes, I have a full ironing basket today, so I will pray.
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