When You Use the Same Coffee Cup Everyday
Every day I use the same coffee cup. I make the same meals and fold the same clothes. I vacuum the same stain on my carpet, the one I swear I’ll clean one of these days. I drive the same roads to the store, bank, therapy, church, school, and home again. The same hustle and bustle fills my life and the moments begin to melt together. I suddenly lose track of whether it’s Tuesday or Thursday.
As the days begin to grow shorter and the season of pumpkins, scarves, and boots arrive, our family’s calendar gets busier and busier. Activities fill the weeks, but our busyness is the same busyness. I feel stuck and the question comes to my heart: where is God today? In the middle of my ordinary days, I have a hard time feeling His presence and hearing His voice.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 (ESV)
One day the word present from Psalm 46 whispered to me in the middle of paper plates and sippy cups. He is right beside me. My God is a present God, and that means even in my ordinary days.
God’s presence is definitely with me during those worship-filled moments where I feel His Spirit move. And He is surely there for me during the desperate moments, when the waves of despair threaten to crush me.
So what about the moments when I’m sweeping crumbs from off of the floor? Or when I’m fixing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the fourth time in a week? Who is this God of the present?
The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46:7 (ESV)
The Lord of hosts is a God of angel armies. He is a powerful God and He is close, approachable, and near. The God of Jacob is a personal God. He is God for even just one person. In the unseen battles, He is my refuge, fortress, and shield.
So how do I live in a place of remembering God is all of these things? It isn’t in just doing all of the right things: Bible study and prayer. It is finding Him in the small places, during my regular day.
“We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the culture of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail.” Oswald Chambers (November 14)
It is spiritual discipline to see God in the ordinary things. It takes a special kind of vision to see Him working in the small moments. Every time I sort socks or walk the aisle of the grocery store, it takes effort to remember His presence. It takes faith.
For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)
Walking seems so boring, but we are not called to sprint ahead or stand still. So we walk by faith and live in the present. We see His goodness, faithfulness, and mercy in the details.
When my child crawls into my lap for a snuggle, I see His hand. That moment when my friend texts me in the middle of the day to say she is praying for me, I remember He cares for me. When I have food to eat, I praise Him for the provision. On and on, these things remind me of His presence.
It takes discipline and practice to see Him. God is near. Let’s walk by faith, and see Him even in the small details. Start today.
Tweet ThisI am excited for something to help you in your Bible study walk. I have spent the last year writing out my story. It took a different kind of turn when we brought home our daughter from China. Through all of it, God reminded me of so many truths. I can’t wait to share with you how God spoke to me during that time. Sign up to be on the list for a sneak peak into my brand new Bible study coming out November 30. You might even get some great freebies as well!
Blessings for an extraordinary day!
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Sarah, you are so right! It is a discipline to remember His presence in the ordinary moments of our life, but as an older woman I think I now see that it is in the ordinary moments that He teaches me so much and that I end up treasuring. It was the ordinary moments that filled my memories when my parents died….precious little things now not an option for me. It was also the ordinary moments I missed when my children grew up, married, and moved into homes of their own hundreds of miles away. I think the Lord also shows us in His life on earth the power of what seemed like ordinary moments like the day He stopped by a well, saw a man perched up in a tree, or used a little boys meager lunch to feed a crowd. Blessings on what He has already allowed you to see!
WONDERFUL TEXT. GRATITUDE!!
Sarah. I loved this. I love how detailed you are when it comes scripture. This hit home for me this morning. “It is spiritual discipline to see God in the ordinary things. It takes a special kind of vision to see Him working in the small moments. ” It’s easy to get caught up in the mundane moments and forgetting that he is still there with us. Thank you for this.
Thanks for reading Chelsie 🙂
Great reminder to live in the present Sarah. So glad God is with in the ordinary moments too. Excited for your upcoming Bible study coming out too.
Thank you Laura~ 🙂
A great reminder, Sarah. What some have called “practicing the presence of God,” being aware of His active involvement in all of life. Thanks for sharing and for hosting. Blessings!
Such a beautiful reminder, Sarah. I agree – it takes great intention to see God in the smallest things and even more, to acknowledge His presence even when they aren’t things we particularly like or want. Indeed, it is an act of faith that we are better for embracing. Thanks for the encouraging word today.
Wow, this is so super encouraging. I have been feeling like I’m in such a rut. I am newly married, and I love married life… but what I don’t love is all the cleaning and the cooking and the constant cycle of doing/cleaning the same things over and over. Thank you for reminding me that it takes practice and discipline to “practice the presence of God,” as Brother Lawrence says it.