As I write this post, it’s Saturday morning, a day that is usually as routine as they come. Laundry, pay bills, water house plants, walk the dog, etc. etc. I was stripping the bed to start laundry when I bemoaned the fact (again…) that it so often feels like I just do the same things over and over again.
To be fair, there is a part of me that enjoys some routine. How about you? Does it give you some sense of control in a world that feels anything but controllable? I think that’s part of what I like about routine. It’s predictable. It’s comfortable. It’s safe. It’s generally not where the major traumas show up.
And yet … I can also feel like the infamous hamster on the hamster wheel. Going around in circles, sometimes fast, sometimes slowly. Woe is me. Just another day in paradise.
It’s easy for us to allow hopelessness to creep into that routine. And a small voice whispering to us, “Is this all your life consists of?” Pretty sure I’m not alone in this, right?
Clearly that small voice isn’t God’s! Satan wants us to be discouraged with the monotony of our routines. Or even the breakneck speed of our lives. Both “hamster wheel” speeds can cause us to be dissatisfied with our routines.
As I threw the bedding in the washer, this was God’s reminder and promise he gave to me. Regardless of how I view this chapter of my life, Heaven will not be boring! Even those things that we do continually in Heaven, like singing praises to God, will be fresh and new each time.
Isn’t that exciting to think about? Or do you fear it will be a continuation of your monotony, or maybe even a diminishing of any earthly excitement?
If you struggle with understanding this issue, here’s a great clip (you can listen or read it) from Randy Alcorn and his Eternal Perspective Ministries. Check it out for a refreshing, encouraging new outlook!
So with my attitude adjustment in place, I went on to the next item on my morning routine. My “daily” devotions. (See the routine built into my days?!)
I love Joni Earekson Tada and am currently reading her year-long devotional, “More Precious Than Silver.” I had to chuckle to myself when I read the title of today’s devotion – “Life is So Daily.” Proof once again of God’s sense of humor!
The first lesson I learned, although likely not what Joni intended, was how my supposedly ho-hum routine compared to hers. Did I have to wait for someone to bring my coffee and breakfast, to put a straw in that drink, to put me through range-of-motion exercises, to bathe and dress me, to lift me out of my bed into my wheelchair?
Gratefully, no. But that’s Joni’s morning routine. Every. Single. Day. My minor grumbling about my boring Saturday routine was instantly put into perspective. I’m grateful for the ability to wash the sheets that I crawled out of in my own strength.
But here is the main message Joni wanted us to see through her writings. I share it in her own words.
“No matter how deep the rut of our daily routine, satisfaction in the Lord Jesus can be deeper still. In fact, God invites us to know his satisfaction on a more profound level as we remind ourselves to go to him for grace, especially during those so-called boring hours when we feel our life is on automatic. He knows that’s when we need him most.
“No matter how much the same your day appears, God’s grace will make it different because his grace is fresh every morning… What parts of your day are routine? Why not infuse them with life by inviting God to be a part of them?”
Such great advice and wisdom from someone who understands “routine” better than any of us possibly could. But guess what. Imagine how great will be her joy in Heaven one day when her morning routine becomes one of joy and freedom and continual praise and gratitude to God.
Dear God, please instill in me that same healthy, biblical perspective when my routine threatens to rob me of the joy you want to infuse into every moment of my days. Amen.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23