Real Life Mindfulness author Becca Anderson has just the thing to occupy your mind while you partake in a mundane chore, such as doing the laundry.
I find you so close to me right here, dear Lord.
Surrounded by the dirt and scattered clothing of my family,
I find this an ideal spot to pray with you.
No one comes near here, so it is quiet,
and it gives me a chance to reflect on the many blessings
of my life. As I pick up their clothing and sort it,
I ask you to give each of them what is needed most in their lives.
I fill the washer with my husband’s shirts and socks
and ask that you bless him as he wears them to work each day.
Give him the grace to see that his work is holy, and open
his eyes to see the sacredness of each moment of life.
As I sort the tiny socks or the overalls of the children,
I smile and remember how blessed I am to have them in my life.
I sort the larger teenage clothing and wonder at how fast these
clothes have become larger sizes—and how quickly children
grow up. I ask your help as I guide them through each new phase
of their lives. Give me a love that is endless, a heart that forgives
them, and the humility to ask for their forgiveness when
that is right.
Help me keep them from danger, and help me to let go
and trust you
when it is time to do that. I try so hard to be perfect, but lead me
to remember that it is here in the smudged, disorganized,
and disheveled
parts of life that I find you the nearest. Thank you, dearest Lord,
for so much grace in my life!
—Anonymous
Real Life Mindfulness
Meditations for a Calm and Quiet Mind
Spiritual self care: Real Life Mindfulness is a series of reflections that can illuminate every aspect of life. Authors Elise Marie Collins and Becca Anderson offer readers guidance on using the opportune moments between everything else in life for spiritual self care. In the same way we lovingly tend a garden, so does our soul require nourishment and attention. Your happiness quotient will soar with the practices and meditations in Real Life Mindfulness.