The story is told of
three women washing clothes. A passerby asked each what she was doing.

“Washing Clothes” was
the first answer.

“A bit of household
drudgery” was the second.

“I’m mothering three
young children who someday will fill important and useful spheres in life, and
wash-day is a part of my grand task in caring for these souls who shall live
forever” was the third.

Ordinary work, which
is what most of us do most of the time, is ordained by God every bit as much as
is the extraordinary. All work done for God is spiritual work and therefore not
merely a duty but a holy privilege.

Wow. That’s all I could say when I finished reading this
passage in my devotional book today. This story was so convicting and inspiring
all in one. I just couldn’t resist sharing, and I had to share the entire
thing. I had no idea how to share just a piece of it and it be as powerful as I
had experienced.

How many times do we look at those small ordinary tasks and
think that they’re just a bunch of nonsense? I can count numerous times where I
have done that in my life. I am blessed enough to work in kids ministry where
most of my job is dedicated to doing things for the Kingdom, but even that can
come with small tasks that are seemingly unimportant. There is nothing that
goes unnoticed by God, and everything we do is connected in some way to the extraordinary
that God has called us to do.

So I decided to take some time to remind myself of who it
was that God had called me to be right now, and however ordinary it may seem,
to look at the bigger picture that is truly extraordinary.

I am a wife. I am
standing beside a man pushing and encouraging him to fulfill all that God has
called him to do. I am inspiring him to be the best that he can be. I am
listening to his fears, laughing at his jokes, forgiving his mistakes,
respecting who he is, and challenging his faith. And in everything I do as a
wife, I will do well because it brings honor and respect to my husband. Whether
I am cleaning my house, working, cooking, or running errands it is all part of
who I am as his wife.

I am a {soon to be}
mom. I am raising child(ren) that God has entrusted to me. I am raising
kids that will one day influence a generation. Who they are and their knowledge
of God depends on me. With every late night, I will remember there is no time
wasted. With every tear, I will remind them (and even myself) that there is
purpose. I am called to be a mom by God, and every small task that comes along
with that I will take joy in.

I am a minister to children. I work for
an elementary department, and every task that I do throughout the week to
prepare to minister to kids is all for the extraordinary moment that a child
meets God. I will use every moment to show love to every kid that I come in
contact with. Even when I am setting up rooms, organizing volunteers, preparing
for events, or cleaning up messes I will remember how important each one of
those children are to you.

I am a woman. I
am a woman called to do many things that a man cannot do, and I will do them
all with joy. I will be all that God has called me to be as a woman. I will use
those beauties and gifts that God has given to women for good. I am called to
nurture and encourage those around me, I am called to uplift. I will take the
influence I hold and remember how important it is. I will accept the calling to
pour into women around me whether it is friends or mentors. I will be committed
to teaching other women about who they are in Christ.

I am an influence. Every
one of us has influence. I can choose to be someone who leaves behind a good
influence or I can leave behind a bad influence. Everything that God has called
me to do, will in one way or another be an influence. I will not take that
lightly. I will be woman that leaves behind a Godly influence.

I am a leader. I
will choose to find joy in all that I do. I will take even the smallest task
and see the purpose behind why you have called me to what I do.

I am a Christian. I
have made a decision to live for God, and to call myself a Christian. I have
made the decision to represent Christ in all of my ordinary and extraordinary
duties. God has given me certain passions and I need to be sure that they all
ultimately point back to who God is.

Who has God called
you to be? What ordinary things do you need to look at and remember their part
in an extraordinary purpose?

I promise you that taking time to do what I did above will
not be a waste of time. I couldn’t help but be filled to overflowing with joy
when I saw how important every ordinary task is in God’s extraordinary plan.