The sanctuary of ordinary moments for homemakers
Homemaking and the sanctuary of ordinary moments
I almost missed it today. Sanctuary. Hidden in the plain sight of ordinary moments.
The kitchen is full of groceries, with the goal of learning to incorporate more whole foods into our diet.
My neglected “new” copy of 100 Days Of Real Food, dusted off and ready to be used.
Something felt different this morning. The sun was finally shining with enough warmth to actually open the windows a bit.
It felt glorious.
As I prepped the chicken for the crockpot, I decided to embrace all aspects of this quiet space.
No music today, a child sick in bed, the other at work. My husband has gone too.
Just me, and the silence.
The work sat before me. And you know what? It delighted me.
There was a sense of sanctuary in the ordinary moments today. An acute awareness of the refuge and holiness that was available right then.
In the ordinary, the plain.
Chores that are barely noticed, humbled me. Like emptying the dishwasher, with a gift of time-saving luxury.
How regal, truly.
This feeling of gratitude and awe spread into every single aspect of this passing experience.
The intoxicating scent of Rosemary.
The small pieces of paper that have gathered recipes for decades, safe in my box.
The beauty of my ingredients, almost unnoticed with their commonness, took center stage with their design and detail.
And the shape of a rare ingredient in my kitchen, fresh ginger, piqued my curiosity.
How clever our Creator is to make all things so different.
How delighted he must be to have us notice.
Filling the sink to wash apples, their fragrance tickled my nose. The sunlight danced on top of the water.
And I was grateful.
For apples and water and the smells of cooking chicken and bread.
Cutting the stems of last week’s unexpected gift of flowers, gave me a deep appreciation for another few days to enjoy them.
As I began to clean up, my mixer caught my eye. This sturdy piece of machinery has been my domestic partner for 13 years.
My fingers lingered on it, as I put it away. Thankful for its service.
Remembering the difficulty of having fibromyalgia without the help of its motor. Yes, thankful indeed.
Compound gratitude in homemaking
Once you start being grateful? It is almost impossible to stop.
We tend to spend time rushing and running yet never really arriving where we want to be.
 Refuge is more than a physical place, it can be a soul experience.Â
A settling of our spirit that gets trampled in the daily grind.
There is plenty of beauty to be found in the ordinary.
These tasks could have been on a never-ending to-do list today. Truthfully, there was much that won’t get done today because of the time I spent enjoying this time.
Running to get my camera to document and share this concept with you.
And why did I do that? Because I believe in the power of sharing our experiences. The privilege of reminding each other that the most mundane things can become Holy.
If we invite God into it…
There are no ordinary moments in homemaking
It makes me think that this sanctuary, experiencing an everyday moment, is the best place to be.Â
Consider this invitation to slow down. Look around with renewed interest at the things our body and soul come into contact with every day. Choose to savor an experience that would normally be lost among 100 others in a day.
Invite God in and let him amaze you.
What kinds of moments take your breath away, by the sheer surprise of their ordinariness? Leave a comment and let me know!
Homemaking books I’ve enjoyed
- The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming
- The Christian Homemaker’s Handbook
- Not Just A Mom: The Extraordinary Worth of Motherhood & HomemakingÂ
- Having a Martha Home the Mary Way: 31 Days to a Clean House and a Satisfied Soul
- Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management: The 1861 Classic with Advice on Cooking, Cleaning, Childrearing, Entertaining, and More  (Ok, maybe not “practical” in a modern sense, but such fun to read! )
- Disclosure: I only recommend products I do/would use myself. This post may contain affiliate links that at NO additional cost to you, may earn me a small commission to help support this blog. Read full privacy policy here.
My hands smell like herbs and garlic from just making dinner.
Christa, this is so beautiful and timely! I posted something along the same lines this morning. I really feel like God is trying to teach me to be still. To stop and see all the blessings and beauty around me. Today I’m thankful for the company of a friend as we played on the toy-strewn floor. I’m thankful for the little voices that call me mommy and the spring blossoms outside our windows. <3
Jessica would you like to share a link? That would be wonderful, I love your perspective!
This post really blessed me. It is so often that I don’t stop to enjoy the ordinary that I miss the beauty of it. I rush from one thing to the next making sure that I am able to cross things off my task list. I’m missing it. Thank you Christa for helping me to see that the ordinary is indeed a blessing as well.
My pleasure Angel! It is a practice, for sure. So glad we can encourage each other to see the less obvious stuff along the journey
Ahh, I was in this beautiful place back at Thanksgiving and Christmas and how quickly we can slip out of that keen awareness of God’s beauty all around us and that thankfulness for all! This makes me want to start my day tomorrow with new eyes. This is so beautiful! I will be pinning and sharing. 🙂
Thank you so much Joanna, you encouraged my heart today. Honestly, I just am struggling with a concussion. Laying around frustrates me. So, I just stepped outside. Just to see the grass around my feet, I walked to the rose bush and was thankful. For the fresh air, the nature, the birds. The beauty is really in the simplicity so often 🙂