Sacred Living
What do I mean by the Sacred Mundane?
The sacred mundane is the call to live a life in which every single facet is supernaturally infused with eternal significance. As William Paul Young writes,
“If anything matters, everything matters.”
It is living with a real, conscious awareness that every breath of our life is important, indeed eternally important. While we might agree with this on a cerebral level, it is quite another matter to live this way. Why? Because the mundane rules our lives, and the Evil One has managed to successfully deceive us into thinking that mundane matters are separate from our spiritual life.
I believe this is the most subtle and dangerous lie we are tempted to believe. We are daily tempted, subconsiously, to believe it doesn’t really matter, and to live the majority of our lives–the mundane–in one manner, while attempting to progress in our Christian life through other means. In the words of Paul David Tripp,
“If God doesn’t rule your mundane, He doesn’t rule your life. Because the mundane is where you live.”
I say that life is infused with eternal significance because we are not the ones who give our life significance. Material objects and a vast majority of actions and decisions have no moral value.
It is the altar which sanctifies the gift.
Sacred living is nothing more than living a life which is consecrated, or set apart, wholly to Him who alone is Sacred: The Triune God. A life which has been given over to God (i.e. born again) has been consecrated to Christ and is therefore sacred and holy.
It isn’t a matter of feeling, but rather a matter of fact.
When we consciously decide to embrace sacred living, we are merely acknowledging and embracing what already is. We are acting in the appropriate manner. And nothing, absolutely nothing, is more satisfying and rewarding than doing that which you were created to do. Mundane takes on immeasurable value and limitless potential. Trials are transformed from obstacles to opportunities.
Life teems with meaning.
That’s the sacred mundane.
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Repost from the archives, January 2009.
Resurrected, He resurrects.
I stirred, half-asleep, and found Dutch at my side. Of course he was at my side, he’d been up all night long for some reason, coming in our room, missing us, asking to snuggle, unable to sleep. I don’t remember letting him in but he was there, and I was frustrated. And irritated. And agitated. And exhausted. But he was wide awake. I hadn’t even slid my feet out of bed and my heart felt overwhelmed: Lord, it’s EASTER. I want to celebrate and I’m already frustrated. Please help me. I know I’m being selfish, please help! I lay there a few more moments and saw exactly how I felt: Like my heart was this big heavy boulder, and I had a leash around it and was dragging it along. I was trying trying trying to be joyful, and for some reason my heart would just not keep up. It’s EASTER, for crying out loud! Come on heart, rejoice!
By 7am Heidi was up and my morning was gone. Both kids were not feeling well and church was at 8:30. Both kids cried their way through the morning. Are you KIDDING, Lord? It’s EASTER. I just want to wake up and celebrate YOU, not drag around these crying kids. No time to shower, no time to wash my greasy hair, I lead my children out the door crying. Happy Easter.
I keep praying, keep asking God to give us joy. We pray together in the car. We get to church late, it’s ok. Church is great. God moves. Yes, Lord! I see all the people, rejoice, take part. Secretly I wish that I could stay there all day at church, wish someone would take my kids and not give them back until about 7pm that night. Someone says they feel for all the volunteers who have to be there at church all day. A thought runs through my mind, “I’d rather be here at church all day than at home serving my crying sick whining kids.” Then of course I feel guilty for feeling that… Lord give me joy in parenting. The sacred mundane is haunting me. Lord, help me embrace the sacred mundane. Help!
I get the kids, and five minutes later we have the most ultimate melt-down I have ever experienced. The details don’t matter, but suffice it to say that Dutch got upset about something and literally threw himself on the floor screaming like a wild animal. I’ve never seen him do anything like this. I had to drag him, physically, into the bathroom while dozens of people watched, Heidi slung over my shoulder with a wild kicking maniac boy on my arm. Happy Easter. I hid myself in the bathroom until Jeff and his mom could come help me. Yes, we took care of getting to the root of the problem and disciplining Dutch appropriately, but by the time we got home I had determined this was just about the worst parenting day we’ve had on record and I still had Easter dinner for nine people later that afternoon. Thank goodness my mother-in-law was here who was a huge help.
After everything was ready for Easter dinner, I snuck upstairs for a moment of silence. I had wanted to do something special for each place setting, so I pulled out little cards and began to write scriptures.
This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Ps. 118:24
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on You! Is. 26:3
The LORD gives His people strength. The LORD blesses them with peace. Ps. 29:11
If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Rom. 8:31
With God everything is possible. Matt 19:26
Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matt. 11:28
Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh the joys of those who trust in Him. Ps. 34:8
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. Ps. 46:1
No matter what happens, always be thankful. 1 Thess. 5:18
For the happy heart, life is a continual feast. Prov. 15:15
And the resurrection came.
How could I read these life-changing Words of God and not have a heart change? God was graciously resurrecting my heart, resurrecting my day, my attitude, my focus–one sacred word at a time. So much ugliness I’d struggled with all morning (all week, really), all cleansed out by the beautiful water of His Word.
Over dinner we each read our verses and then each answered a question written on the back of our card, sharing unique facets of the goodness of God in our lives.
God’s power was resurrected in our hearts.
We laughed and cried over the goodness of God. What he’s done in my mom’s body, in Jeremy’s life, in Debra’s life. We shook our heads in awe at His power. We spoke of His goodness and beauty. We stood amazed at His resurrection power at work every day in our lives.
Resurrected, He resurrects.
He resurrects marriages, dreams, lives. He resurrects areas of our hearts that were dead because of sin or pain or loss. He resurrects us from besetting sins that threaten to render us useless. He resurrects every single day. So we sat around and spoke of His power, little ways He demonstrates His sovereignty, from Debra and my meeting at the writers’ conference, to the amazing and immediate answer to pray my mom experienced just this morning.
Resurrected, He resurrects.
That’s what He does. All the time. Everyday. Everything He touches comes to life. Things that are dead bear fruit because of His living water.
Like the wheat grass centerpiece on our Easter table. The grain of wheat dies, is watered, then springs up in life.
How thankful am I to not only experience the glory of an Easter worship service, but to experience the glory of a resurrected day? Of a day that was filled with my own selfish resentment that was resurrected into a day of joy and hope.
Resurrected, He resurrects. That’s our God.
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Where is God working His resurrection power in your life? Look closely because He’s there… I pray you had a blessed Resurrection Sunday yesterday. Thanks for reading.
Because He Lives
[Just because I can’t get this old gospel song out of my mind. And because He is risen! Because He lives.]
Because He Lives
God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives.
But greater still the calm assurance,
This child can face uncertain days because He lives.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
And then one day I’ll cross the river,
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain.
And then as death gives way to victory,
I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He lives.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone!
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives!
Week's end with thanks
- Spring Beach Retreats: Saturday afternoon spent sitting in a toasty warm room, overlooking the ocean, writing to my heart’s content.
- Coming home.
- Greeted at the door by the love of my life.
- Long kisses.
- Sneaking into Dutch’s room, him not noticing with back turned playing. Door close behind me, he turns, face lit up. “Mommy!!” Wrap that little boy up in my arms and breathe him in. Yes!
- Sunny afternoon spent planting vinca on the hillside.
- Couch fort still up in the living room.
- Hearing Heidi, creeping into room to get her from her nap. “Mommy!!!” She can’t stop smiling, just keeps staring at my face and saying, “Mommy!” So good to have gotten away, but oh so good to be home.
- Returning to mundane tasks and finding them so satisfying.
- My own bed.
- Heavy quilt.
- Putting on shorts for the first time this spring. No joke: Heidi pointed at my legs and said, “Uh oh!” Pretty much destroyed my confidence.
- Telling Dutch, “Did you know that you can talk to Jesus all day long?” Response: “No Mommy, if you talked all day long you’d get tired!”
- Friends who buy me green beans from Costco.
- Trader Joe’s.
- A glimpse of miraculous and abnormal maturity in Dutch as he maneuvered the grocery store cart and helped me grocery shop while I held a sleeping Heidi in my arms. Now I know what he’s capable of; I’m raising the bar.
- Spring arriving all at once!! Everything waking up one day in the glorious light of Tuesday’s sun.
- Long afternoon down by the creek. Sitting in the sun. Throwing rocks, smoothing my hands over that same magnificent moss, this time all aglow in the sunshine.
- Kids “fishing” in the creek with stick poles.
- Watching Dutch make friends at the park.
- Watching Heidi bravely go down the big-kid slide. It spit her out so fast she about landed on her head, but she popped up, dusted herself off and smiled! That’s my girl.
- Bob double jogger.
- Tuesday morning Bible study. An amazing small group of ladies.
- Jaw-dropping stories of pain, beauty, and grace.
- Childcare workers.
- Unexpected dinner with friends.
- The happy shouts of children, “Daddy’s home!!”
- Strength to be consistent.
- An encouraging email from female hero in the faith. Amazed at the power of encouragement.
- Taking risks.
- Learning to be brave.
- Pressing send.
- Community Group. So blessed by them!
- My tulips all in bloom!
- Being on the same page.
- Wednesday morning prayer group. Love those ladies!
- Partnering with missionaries.
- Organized Simplicity.
- Finally giving attention to cleaning my home after far too long of letting it slide.
- Doing a small thing for a friend, and realizing it meant a lot. Every act is so sacred.
- A painful discipline moment with Dutch turning into a great gospel moment. Had I an inkling of what prayer is before I had this child?
- The Little Black Book of London.
- Honest authors.
- An afternoon spent at the river’s edge, Willamette Park, basking in warm sun, cradling my little girl not feeling well, watching Dutch throw rocks and sticks, chase ducks, dig.
- Everything abloom!
- Holding Heidi in my lap during Good Friday service. Contented, she melts into my arms, I inhale her hair and kiss her cheeks, holding her to my chest as I sing to my Savior. This is so good.
- The incredible privilege of sitting under my beloved man’s teaching at Good Friday. I don’t deserve Him or him. So blessed by my Jesus and thankful for my husband.
- Jesus cried, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” so that we would never have to.
- Knowing that Sunday is coming.
- Old friends visiting, new friends here.
- My momma-in-law.
- New gold shoes for Heidi.
- It is finished.
- Rest.