One of the things I love about reading, indeed about life, is that you never know where you will find a nugget of wisdom.(outside the Bible of course, where you will find the gold mine) I gleaned some odds and ends at two Goodwills this weekend, and one of the paperbacks I grabbed was The Duchess of Duke Street by Mollie Hardwick. It was a fun read, I knocked it out Sunday afternoon. In addition to an enjoyable story, I ran across this in the early chapters:
She had discovered early that while hard work could not be less than hard, it could be made less onerous through efficiency and good organization. If brass were there to be polished, she would polish it as though it were her own, delighting in the result. Fellow servants, watching her, had scoffed and gone on taking shortcuts, making do with the least they could get away with. Louisa had shrugged her shoulders and continued to give of her best, for her own satisfaction as much as for her employers’. She was confident that she would not be doing such work forever.
I wish I had discovered that lesson early. I’m still not sure I’ve learned it! Can I say that I do a thorough job, “delighting in the result”? Hmmm. Once in awhile, when I’m in the mood to clean and can get the uninterrupted time to do it. But not on a daily basis. I’m all for efficiency, and sometimes I can manage it. But organization and I are only nodding acquaintances. I love how Louisa is indifferent to the opinion of her peers, and even to some degree to the opinion of her employer. She is doing a good job for her own personal satisfaction. And look at that last sentence. She knows she won’t be doing such work forever. So many of our chores now seem like they will go on forever, but they won’t. We won’t be changing diapers forever. Our babies will grow. We won’t be doing laundry for huge families forever. Our children will leave our homes. Perhaps we won’t just miss them, maybe we’ll even miss the work a little bit. But of course, there will always be work to do. Our earthly jobs, however, will eventually pass away. Then we can truly be about the business of Heaven.
The author adds a little more to this aspect of Louisa’s character in a following chapter…
It made the most thankless task lighter, she believed, if you convinced yourself that you were contributing to the efficient running of an organization, which in turn was enabling the master to conduct his business efficiently and prosperously…
Now there’s something to chew on! We have a master, and I’m not talking about our husbands (though this thought does apply somewhat to them too) Does a little task like sweeping my floor really contribute to the running of God’s operation? Yes. I think it does. First and foremost, it contributes by building character and discipline in me, which I’m sure He wants, as I submit gladly to the tasks I’ve been given. Second, sweeping the floor and cleaning my home create a safe and pleasant environment for my children. Look at this:
Proverbs 24:30-31 I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense,
And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles;
Its surface was covered with nettles,
And its stone wall was broken down.
When I am slack in the little vineyard that is my home, look what can happen! Thistles. My home is prickly and uncomfortable - both literally (try stepping on legos!) and emotionally. A house in disarray does not contribute to the happiness of Mommy, and we all know what happens when Mommy isn’t happy. Nettles. More pricks and stabs, but these are stronger and more dangerous. When the business of home is untended, bills might not be paid, meals not provided. Hazards could be lurking around in the form of toys on the stairs, or germs in the kitchen. And finally, broken down walls. Walls are our defenses. If we aren’t doing our work at home, the defenses are low physically, emotionally, and spiritually. All of these things create a vineyard that is not productive for the master. One that is not contributing to the efficient running of His organization.
Hmm. So as I tend my vineyard, may I remember that my “thankless tasks” are part of the work of the Kingdom - work that fits me for a future in the Kingdom yet to come.