Life in the Mundane

I guess some lessons just come with age. And as I age I learn lessons I wish someone would have taught me a long time ago. Much of life is just going through the mundane of the everyday. That is not a bad thing, but for years I was always looking for that exciting moment. I always thought life needed to be full of fun and adventure. I can still remember vividly my middle school and high school days were filled with dreams of when I would be an adult; I would finally be out on my own taking on the world.

I lost my dad when I was in the 6th grade. This was a major blow to my skinny introverted self, and this only made my dreams of adulthood all the more grand and important. I just knew adulting was going to make all my dreams come true. Don’t get me wrong, my life has been pretty epic. Married to the love of my life for over 30 years, three wonderful kids, and so far, three beautiful grandkids. Yes, I wish I had more time with my dad, but I have no desire to think back over my life and wish I had done something differently other than learning to enjoy life in the mundane.

The Swings of Life

I have been passionately involved in ministry for decades; I have seen countless lives changed as they grew in their faith in Jesus. There are tons of beautiful memories, family vacations, finally getting my college degree, watching the birth of my kids, and several days each week the house is still noisy with family. Yes, there have been hard times. Helping my mom, and my wife’s parents negotiate their final days in this world. Then there were times out of work and jobs I loathed. And just this week, I learned of the passing of not one, but two childhood friends.

Between the epic swings of life there are a lot of days that are just, well – mundane. Nothing remarkable to see here. Just days of grocery shopping, bill paying, lawn mowing (ok, ok, with my allergies I pay someone to mow the lawn), and the occasional day with absolutely nothing to do. Granted, those days are super rare.

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. – Psalm 118:24

Go Big but Aim Small

I have always enjoyed studying leadership and personal growth.  What I discovered while I was always chasing that big change in my life, I was doing my best to cover up and hide the mundane. I thought the mundane was something to be fixed. I wanted to do all I could to push the mundane out; to cease its existence. It took a long time to learn, but I finally discovered chasing the impossible is exhausting, and I missed the joy of life in the midst of the mundane.

We do need big goals and big visions. As Christians we should live a life that brings God glory in all we do, and to do our best to make a difference in this fallen world. As we do big things, let us not miss the little things. Every moment matters, every moment is important. Often it is the little things that matter more; over time they often have the greater impact. Some of the greatest memories with my dad was him letting me tag along as he ran errands or letting me hold the flashlight while he worked on the car.

I Love Mondays

Several years ago I made the decision to love Mondays. (I wrote about it here > Why I Love Mondays) I have long since forgotten where I was, when I moaned, “I wish it was Friday,” while at work. One of my co-workers responded, “You should not wish your life away.” That simple statement in a mundane moment really shook me. My co-worker at the time has no way of knowing how their response transformed my mindset of how I approach each day. Monday’s are great days. They are often full of mundane goodness.

“Make each day your masterpiece” – John Wooden

Each morning brings a fresh day. It may be full of adventure or might be full of struggle. However, it might be full of nondescript mundane moments. Be the person who brings life to the mundane. Make those moments count. Live each mundane moment full of joy, and infuse each one with life. And over time perhaps, you will look back see that your mundane moments were the greatest.

“Seize the day, as little as possible trusting the future.” – Horace

You may want to check out my post on Cultivating Faithfulness in the Ordinary

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About the Author: Jon Stallings

I am enthusiastic about helping others discover their purpose and grow into a deeper relationship with Jesus. It is great to see their eyes light up at their “Ah Ha!” moment when they discover they were created for something more. My hope is that this blog will help encourage and inspire you along your way. Join the conversation and take the time to share with me your own story. I have been married to my beautiful wife Janice for over 30 years. We currently live in McDonough Georgia with our daughter. Our two boys have left the nest and we have two wonderful grand kids. Of course we cannot forget about our dog Bear.