Colleen at Thoughts on Grace hosts Sabbath Moments, a weekly meme that reminds us to live in the present and to "let go and let God".
One of the things that I have tried to do over the years is to incorporate different aspects of my daily life into Christ, the goal being to have every area under his care... including tasks I hate like cleaning and sorting through mail. Why do companies send us so much junk anyway? How many fliers does the same store have to send me in one week? I pull the bills out and the junkmail piles up on my dining room table. Quickly. Receipts, bank statements, letters, schoolwork and other "stuff" ends up in this pile too. It's hard to motivate myself to sort through it so I do it for Jesus. I sing hymns, shred mail and papers (by hand) and offer it for the souls in purgatory. I imagine Jesus shredding their debts.
People may think it's silly to shred junkmail and do little things like this for Jesus but I have a problem with self-motivation. When I was ill, the only way I could drag myself out of bed in the morning was for Him. I cleaned for his sake (maybe not very well), cooked for his sake, worked for his sake...you get the picture.
I am well now but still have a problem with motivation (see my previous post) so this still helps me immensely. So today, I sorted junkmail for love of Him.
God is in the details.
I motivate myself to procrastinate.
ReplyDeleteTry it. It's easy and it works!
Hi Mary
ReplyDeleteThat's the spirit! You have written a lovely post that will probably help to motivate others. When I was in school, one of my teachers was very artistic and she used to draw lovely things. One day, she wrote in gorgeous lettering at the top of the blackboard, "All For Jesus, Through Mary". It was so beautiful that I have never forgotten it and your lovely post brought it back to me now. Thanks Mary, and God bless you.
Oh Mary! Amen to that! God IS in the details!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding me that He IS interested in all that I do...even the little things.
Blessings to you today, Mary!
Mary,
ReplyDeleteI love this- especially picturing Jesus shredding the debts of the souls in purgatory; that's one way to make something productive out of seemingly menial and annoying tasks!
Although I like Victor's idea too :)
Victor,
ReplyDeleteI have procrastination down pat, my friend! I could give you a few lessons if you'd like:) I actually confess it quite often.
You're funny :)
Speaking of souls in purgatory - My husband has a pair of rosary beads and the filigree beads look like little round cages. When he prays for the poor souls he imagines the little cages opening up and souls entering heaven. I thought this was a great manner of motivating oneself to pray for these souls :)
ReplyDeleteBreadgirl,
ReplyDeleteI fold laundry with Our Lady so I love "All for Jesus, through Mary". I often sing Hail Mary's while I do it and it makes the work much more pleasant (plus it use to take my mind off my pain). It makes a boring task sweet instead.
Nancy,
ReplyDeleteMy mom always says that "God is in the details" and "bloom where you are planted". It makes sense to me :)
Yeah, love it. God is in the details. Amen Mary. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteI love the shredding business. In the period movies of Japan a person's debt was recorded on an individual piece of rice paper. When the debt was paid, the paper was shredded in the view of the debt holder and the debtee (is that a word???!) It's a great visual and motivator to think this way. Thanks, Mary.
ReplyDeleteBarb,
ReplyDeleteIt's a word now ;)
Actually, I have no clue if it is or not but it got your point across clearly (lol).