This is a wee bit lengthy but it needs some introduction {please hang with me}:
So I’m reading this book with a friend:
You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream: Opening the Door to All God Has for You
Honestly, I’m reading it because the most noble Lady Margaret {one of my favorite authors} mentioned it on her blog. And I love what she writes so I figured I’d love what she reads, too. And my friend Lady Jen the Kind, Just, and Patient {anyone who has quadruplet 6 year boys must be all of those things} said she really liked it.
I must admit it has struck a creative fancy and blown an air of grace and hope into my life like no other book has of late. Best of all, it has me thinking and dreaming. After completing Chapter 3 on Monday, I decided to mow the front yard. Push mowing is my personal therapy. I really like it. I know. Sick & wrong.
A couple of phrases from the chapter kept rolling through my head. What you do matters. Thank you for what you do.
How often do we endeavor a mundane task without thinking about how or why it matters? We mow the yard. We take out the trash. We do the laundry. We fill the dishwasher. We fill the dishwasher again. We help with homework. We run to the grocery store. We balance the checkbook. We fix dinner. We make sure there is toothpaste in the cabinet, toilet paper on the roll, and vegetables in the refrigerator. We make sure the kids go to bed on time and then we go to bed, get up, fix coffee, and do all of the above all over again.
But what if we really began to think through why what we do matters? The following was the conversation in my head while mowing the yard. Fasten your seatbelts, Lords and Ladies because my brain? She is a roller coaster . . .
What I do matters? What am I doing? Easy. I am mowing the front yard. Why does it matter?
Here’s where my practical Midwest girl sensibilities kick in:
What do you mean “Why does it matter?” It doesn’t matter if it matters, it needs done. What kind of nonsense is this? The yard needs mowed, so you mow it.
You really don’t want to get up inside my head now, do you?
Ok, ok, for the sake of the exercise I’ll go along with this. Hmmm why does it matter?
- If I don’t mow the yard, the kids can’t really play in it. It matters.
- It matters that I mow the yard because I enjoy the exercise push mowing brings me. It’s good for my heart. I’ll live longer. I can eat more cookies. It matters.
- Mowing some of or all of the yard frees up the King of Free to play with the girls when he gets home from work. Because he’s spending time with them, they’ll have a strong male figure in their hearts and lives and make wise choices when it comes to their future husband. It matters.
- I look out the window at our front yard when I’m doing the dishes. If it’s not mowed, it drives. me. crazy. So my mental health will be improved when I mow the yard. It matters.
- I like the feeling of accomplishment when I finish mowing the yard and how for 24-48 hours it feels good to have something truly completed. Many of the other tasks I do feel never-ending. There is a start and finish to mowing. I like the feeling of completeness. It matters.
- Physical labor is good for my soul. It makes me more energized in other areas of my life. It matters.
- Mowing makes me feel connected to kick-butt women I know who weren’t afraid to weed eat, mow, or do manual labor. I’m looking at you Mom and Grandpa Beulah. It feels like a legacy. I like being a part of a movement bigger than myself. It matters. Whoa, where did that one come from?
- And of course, mowing the yard myself keeps me from paying someone else to do it. I’d rather give/save/spend money in other ways. It matters.
So that brings us to today. It’s Wednesday and for the next few weeks, I’m going to think & talk about #WhatYouDoMatters. And I’d like for you to endeavor to do the same. Together we’ll find purpose in the random. We’ll see Glory in the gutters. We’ll sojourn together in an intentional act of knowing why we’re doing what we’re doing.
Here’s how you can participate:
- Comment {I rarely ask you to do so, so if you’ve been silent for a long time, now’s your chance to speak up!} with and describe how #WhatYouDoMatters. Take a usual task and break it down for me. Dishes? Diapers? Gardening? Writing a Thank You Note? Bathing Your Children? Why do they matter? What reasons can you tease out?
- Tweet with the #WhatYouDoMatters when you realize what you’re doing makes a difference or what someone else is doing makes a difference. And tag me @thequeenoffree too so I can learn, too & cheer you along.
- Write on the Court of the Queen of Free Facebook Wall. Begin with What You Do Matters . . .
- Get all Instagrammy up in this place. Take a picture of an act of significance and again don’t forget the #WhatYouDoMatters hashtag and to tag me @thequeenoffree.
I can’t wait to hear from you! Don’t leave me hanging. Because after all . . . #WhatYouDoMatters. 😉
*This post contains an affiliate link. That means while you snag great read on Amazon, you also help our family build up our emergency fund and eventually pay off our mortgage early. And for this we classify you as Royally Swell.
I took a nap today. I hadn’t planned on it, in fact, I was trying to get out of the habit of napping so I could go to bed earlier and not be so sluggish every day. But, my 2yo was feeling needy and I decided to lay down with him. My nap matters because we spent quality time snuggling and feeling each other’s love. It matters because some day he’ll be too old for sleeping with mommy and I’ll miss these opportunities. It matters because he felt better. It mattered because that little rest with my 2yo grounded me. It mattered because it helped remind me that spending time with the kids is always more important. Who knew a nap would be so important?!?
I <3 naps. And I love how you broke down each step. I think that I just forget to acknowledge that everything we do matters {good or bad} and I need to pause and ask myself how my now is contributing my future. Your now was contributing to both your & your son's future. Keep on napping in the name of love. 🙂
Great post. Self-reflection like this is great. This is why I left the for-profit world for a non-profit. I matters that every little thing is for a greater purpose outside of myself. It grounds me.
Awesome friend. Carry on with your generous self.
Love this. So glad you are reading…it’s such a breath of fresh air. Thank you for encouraging us all, Girl!