Destroying the Doldrums of Dailyness

 

Yesterday was a wonderful day as we celebrated the 4^th of July. We listened to the North Carolina symphony and watched a wonderful display of sky-lighting fireworks. We called a halt to the normalcy of life and just took a break.

 

Now, it’s time for today.

 

Isn’t it a shame that we need a “holiday” to make life special? What if every day was a holiday? What if every day was special?

 

What if every day was a special reminder of God?

 

Psalm 111:2-4 says this:

 

Great are the works of the Lord;

            They are studied by all who delight in them.

Splendid and majestic is His work;

            And His righteousness endures forever.

He has made His wonders to be remembered;

            The Lord is gracious and compassionate.

 

Wow! What a great God we adore! How can we help but recognize his “Specialness” daily?

 

Jim Rayburn, the founder of Young Life, used to famously say, “It’s a sin to bore a kid.” I would take it a step further and say, “It’s a sin to present an amazing God as boring!”

 

So, how do we take our normalcy, our routine and daily lives, and make them full of the specialness of God?

 

It just takes a little planning.

 

Showing God’s specialness doesn’t mean elaborate lesson plans. It doesn’t mean glitter, glue, and construction paper. It doesn’t mean wrecked routines or sabotaged schedules.

 

No, showing God’s specialness just means developing a God-ward focus.

 

The God who created the heavens and the earth and who is aware of our smallest needs and our biggest fears is a God who engages all of our senses. To develop our God-ward focus we need to develop a sensory awareness of God.

 

We need to “see” God in what we taste.

 

We need to “see” God in what we hear.

 

We need to “see” God in what we touch.

 

We need to “see” God in what we smell.

 

And finally, we need to “see” God in the beauty that surrounds us.

 

As we are learning to taste, hear, touch, smell, and see God in all we do throughout the day, we can bring our children along on the adventure. We can, with them, learn to focus our attention on God.

 

When we do that, our days will be filled with the specialness of our Savior.

 

Now, I know your days are busy…I get how crazy and overfilled your time seems. I’m right there with you. But, developing a God-ward focus doesn’t need to take a lot of time.

 

It can be as simple as slicing a beautiful strawberry to adorn the side of a plate.

 

 

It’s taking the time to turn on some beautiful God-honoring music to set a peaceful tone for dinner.

 

It can be throwing a bath towel in the dryer to warm for a few moments while a child finishes their shower, then squeezing them close as you wrap them in that warm towel.

 

 

Maybe it’s scented candles, or fresh flowers from the grocery store, or warm baked bread to fill the air with the smell of “home.”

 

It’s noticing a beautiful sunrise or dew-covered grass or smiling babies.

 

Then, it’s taking the time to point the focus to God for the specialness of those gifts. It’s 30 seconds of thanksgiving; recognition of the gift and ultimately, the Giver. A turning of our hearts toward the One who didn’t just give us salvation; He gave us life, and beauty, and our every breath.

 

Does developing a God-ward focus seem like too much work?

 

May I share something from my heart? I’ve raised, and I’m in the process of raising 8 children. Five are already gone from the home. Five are no longer here to daily share the specialness of God. Five are off on their own God-ward journey.

 

I miss the days with all eight together.

 

I miss the talks about spotting God in unexpected ways.

 

I miss the spontaneous prayers of thanksgiving.

I don’t regret for a second the time I spent pointing our collective gazes toward God. If I could, I would go back and spend even more time focusing us God-ward.

 

Focusing our gaze on His beauty and grace and amazing creative love demonstrated toward our family.

 

Those “little” God services that you include in your day are the very actions that point your children to the specialness of their God. The “little” God reminders that you share throughout the day are the very actions that bring God’s specialness to remembrance. The “little” God treats that you lavish on your family paint a clear picture of the extravagant love our special God bestows on us.

 

Don’t waste another day. Focus your gaze God-ward and turn an “everyday” into another “special” day from God.