Ordinary

Well, our computer is back, and I will hopefully be posting lots of precious Margaret Anne pictures soon. However, We've gotten (as usual) caught up on the daily tasks that never seem to go away and always seem so monotonous and never ending. It's funny, even Margaret Anne has caught onto our routine and will chant it in order. For example, when she's going to bed she'll say "rock rock minute, hug kiss, go bed." Sometimes, before dinner, she'll say "Mommy, make my dinner, bath, jammies." She knows exactly what is about to happen and usually gets thrown off just a little if things don't happen in that order.
Sometimes I get annoyed at the monotony of life. Get up, get ready, work, home, scheduled dinner and bath, MA's bedtime, then Mommy/Daddy chill time, then bed. Repeat 5 times, then have a weekend that involves activities that are all scheduled around laundry that needs to be done and groceries that must be bought.
Sometimes the monotony of it is overwhelming. Sometimes the lack of freedom is... overwhelming and stressful.
I was reading a post on this blog today and that led me to these verses that were originally posted on this blog.
Here are the verses:

 Now observe that when that clever harlot, our natural reason . . . , takes a look at married life, she turns up her nose and says, “Alas, must I rock the baby, wash its diapers, make its bed, smell its stench, stay up nights with it, take care of it when it cries, heal its rashes and sores. . . ?” [LW 45:39]

What then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful, and despised duties in the Spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels. It says, O God, because I am certain that thou hast created me as a man and hast from my body begotten this child, I also know for a certainty that it meets with thy perfect pleasure. I confess to thee that I am not worthy to rock the little babe or wash its diapers, or to be entrusted with the care of the child and its mother. How is it that I, without any merit, have come to this distinction of being certain that I am serving thy creature and thy most precious will? O how gladly will I do so, though the duties should be even more insignificant and despised. Neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labor, will distress or dissuade me, for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight. . . . God, with all his angels and creatures is smiling—not because the father is washing diapers, but because he is doing so in Christian faith.[LW 45:39-40]

Wow. What a way to look at the monotony and the "mundane" parts of your daily life. But in truth, they are most definitely not mundane, or boring, or even trivial, even though they might seem that way to an outsider in a different place in life. And they seem that way to us parents of small children when we are in the midst of going through with all of the little details.
How lucky we are to be able to raise our children. How lucky to clean up their messes and make all of their meals and discipline them even though sometimes it seems SO tasking.
I know I will think about these verses next time I feel so tired of doing all of the necessary tasks, and hopefully I will be encouraged!