Beautiful Monotony

I find myself at the end of a long, monotonous day with a cacophony of thoughts slamming around in my head. I spent my day slogging through the minutia of everyday life. Humdrum. Much of what gives life its rhythm dulls its tone. The sun grinds its way through our day dragging night behind it, and all the while we yearn for some piece of excitement to illuminate our day.

Well, we long for the right kind of excitement. A broken leg would certainly fill our day with opportunities. We would get to see new (or visit old) places. We would have the opportunity to meet new people. We get to share our story. We might get a scar (useful in the future as a conversation starter). Yet, most of us don't long for a broken leg. It's the wrong kind of excitement.

So what is it that we want? It depends on the person, but it is often something new or novel or strange or out of the ordinary. We want a brush with greatness or an opportunity to shine. We want our words to move mountains and change minds. We look for something on a grand scale--something that will challenge the "norm."

This kind of thinking makes us miss out on what makes our lives unique. This life is the one we have. It isn't a trial run. The opportunities we miss while searching for better opportunities are lost. There is no getting them back.

We can spend our time dread here-and-now while we wait for something better to come along, or we can learn to find excitement in the moments we are given. I hate to do dishes. I grumble and complain the whole time (it's silly, I know). However, I am fairly certain that if I lost my hands, I would miss being able to do the dishes. My point is simple: if I'm not careful, I'll find myself complaining about things that I would wish for under different circumstance.

When a tempest of life is battering me from every angle, I long for humdrum. When my life is so frantic I don't know which way is up, I miss my routine. I haven't perfected the art of being content where I am or with what I have, but I'm learning.  Sometimes, the kiss of sunshine on a fiery orange autumn leaf or the uninhibited cackle of my little girl is enough to fill me with wonder that God would permit me to know such beauty. Maybe my life isn't so humdrum after all.