Mundane Christian Practices

In this snapshot of my daily office I share some current, mundane Christian practices.

I am in the middle of a trying time, struggling to say the least. Yet I have had assurance after assurance that everything will work out for the good, not only for me, but for the parties involved.

So what do I do when I’m waiting?
What do you do when you’re waiting?

There are many things I could do, but for me it is good to maintain routines, no matter how mundane they may seem. It is in these basic rhythms of life that I find solace.

Bible & prayer

For instance, I maintain a Bible reading program each morning.

This is after breakfast and always with a cup of coffee.

If there’s a verse or two that sticks out to me, I post the verse on X.

My Bible reading usually does not take a lot of time, so I finish my cup of coffee with prayers.

prayer on the commute

I also pray every day on the commute to work. This is a good time to pray, and it keeps me from road rage lol.

Last summer, I sensed a strong injunction from our Lord to pray in a specific way for specific people, so I committed to praying five minutes a day on my commute.

About a couple months later, I again sensed an injunction to pray for a specific situation. So I began to pray about it first, for a couple minutes, before I prayed for the people the Lord laid on my heart.

Now my prayers are not only five minutes. Sometimes they are longer. At times I have also allowed the Holy Spirit to intercede through me by speaking in tongues for the people.

joy

I play close attention to joy.

Where is joy found in my readings?
Where is joy found in my song selections, the soundtracks of my life?
Where is joy found in relationships, and who maintains a sense of joy?
When and why do I become joyful when I am by myself, with no outside influence?

Such questions are important for me at this time especially. To be joyful, truly joyful in the Lord, is a spiritual discipline.

relationships

In the evenings mainly I spend my time checking in with key relations in my life, and catching up with messages (texts, calls, chats, social media, etc.).

Sometimes I have little energy for screentime, so I focus my attention on those God has placed in front of me in realtime. These are the ones, in God‘s Providence, God has allowed me to interact with at this stage. I don’t take them for granted.

I make calls when I can, bearing in mind that my schedule varies from week to week at work. I don’t always have the time I want to call the people I love. I have purchased over $50 worth of stationary, so I can write my loved ones if I feel like it has been too long since we’ve talked.

As I stated before, it’s the rhythms of life, the mundane things, the little things, that keep me going through difficult times.

tracking progress

Recently, I started keeping track of every little sign of progress. I have so many irons in the fire right now that it can be overwhelming. However by adding up, day by day, any action toward a goal, I can look back and realize that I’m making progress.

No matter how insignificant the step may be, if it’s a step in the right direction, I make note of it.

journaling

I do not journal on a daily basis, but it is a regular practice.

When I do take time to record something significant, I try to pay close attention to my personal reaction to it.

What do I think and feel about it?

Although it can seem mundane to write something that only I’ll read, there is something therapeutic about it.

discussion

Next week is a big week for me in at least two areas. It seems like every week is a big week lately.

What seems to be getting me through is not my commitment to conquer the big things. It’s my commitment to continue doing the small things.

Incremental steps.

Proximate focus on goals rather than precise.

Daily practices.

Recognizing Providence and not just looking for the miraculous.

Finding the peace of God in the mundane.

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