Heart to Heart

The Invisible Mom: From Mundane to Miracle
Used with Permission by April Dawn White
 
  As I spread peanut butter onto wheat bread, God whispered, "It might appear mundane, but I can turn the mundane into a miracle!"

I loathe the monotonous mundane process of packing lunches.  Today when Andrew requested, "Mom, pack me extra snacks so I can share" my mind wandered to the story of five loaves and two fish, a miracle that occurred because a little boy shared his lunch.

"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" (John 6:9, NIV)

Do you know who's not mentioned in the story? Who is unnamed and whose hand is invisible? The crucial unmentioned character in this story is the mother that packed that lunch!

As I packed lunches, I began to weep.  I cried for all the times we as parents, particularly mothers, perform all the insane in the mundane tasks that go unnoticed.  Standing in the kitchen, spreading peanut butter onto wheat bread, God whispered to me, "It might appear mundane, but I can turn the mundane into a miracle!"

The story of Jesus feeding the five thousand (a number probably closer to fifteen thousand people when women and children are included) is recorded in all four Gospels (Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17, and John 6:1-15).  However only John explains that the food offered was from a little boy's lunch.  Jesus multiplied what the boy shared.

Little is known about this boy and his mama. Was she among the women in the crowd or did she stay at home tending to younger children? This invisible mom played a part in Jesus' miracle even though she was unseen. God blessed not only the meal, but also her mundane task.

God sees all our work and effort. He sees the mundane lunches being packed and the endless pile of laundry. 

What if we knew God was going to turn our mundane task into a miracle? How would God's involvement change our outlook on these responsibilities?

God might be using your mundane task to lay
the foundation for a future miracle! 
With that in mind I ask, would you like grape or strawberry jelly on your peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

~April Dawn White

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work or our hand for us... yes, establish the work of our hands."  (Psalm 90:17, NIV)

About the Author:

April Dawn White is quick to say she doesn't have it all together but relies on the One who does. In 2012, April began writing a blog titled Red Chair Moments. From her red chair, she chronicles how to find the balance of life when feeling stretched thin. God has used her writing to spread encouragement to over 20,000 viewers in ten countries and two prisons. In 2015, she was asked to join the team of writers for Inspire a Fire. You may connect with April at: Email redchairmoments@gmail.com
Inspire a Fire http://inspireafire.com