We'd like to do exceptional things, not ordinary things.
We'd like to be noticed, not overlooked.
As a Christian, I'd like to do great things for God, not menial tasks.
What about being exceptional in the ordinary? With the mundane, run of the mill drudgery that can be our days, what if we decided, what if I decided, the ordinary was where it counted most to be exceptional?
As I was reading some Oswald Chambers this morning, this really stood out to me and spoke into my life. What a rush life is when exceptional things happen, when my work gets accepted to art shows and people across the world show interest in my photography. But when this isn't happening, and it is most of the time, how do I perceive my life? What kind of effort and enthusiasm do I invest in the regular tasks of today?
I've often spoken about seeing the beauty in the ordinary. There is great beauty in the ordinary, beauty I see and then capture with a camera and share with others. But what about in the ordinary, boring, monotonous stuff that is in a regular day, day in and day out, over and over again? Is there beauty in this? Am I seeing the beauty in the gift of a regular day, the very breath I have, the gift of the ordinary? And what if I can just accept that not all moments are going to appear beautiful? What if I chose still to give my all to those moments, to be exceptional in the unexceptional? I wonder.
The poetry of Ann Weems is filled with the theme of finding the holy in the ordinary. The gritty, real life stories of Anne Lamott show her encountering God in everyday places like the supermarket.
ReplyDeletePerhaps finding beauty in the monotony is akin to seeing where God is at work, in the mundane, and even in tragedy. Some people -- photographers and spiritual folks -- have the gift of pointing it out to others . . .
I'm not familiar with Ann Weems (I'll look her up) but I am familiar with Anne Lamott.
ReplyDeleteGod is at work in the mundane and also in tragedy - you are right. Thank you.
Very interesting, because you never know what effect your "ordinary" is having on others. I've long enjoyed your photos on craftgawker but never checked out your site or commented until today. (It was the window-through-a-window that drew me in--incredible shot!) Maybe it can add shape and colour to the ordinary to imagine how your photography might be affecting other people the world over, completely unknown to you as you go about the mundane tasks that life requires of you. For what it's worth, your pictures often cause me to see the extraordinary details in the ordinary things around me; just by making your photos available over the Internet, you're helping me find beauty in monotony and the mundane. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by with your kindness. Your words have touched me. Blessings on you.
ReplyDeleteI have looked Ann Weems up. Beautiful, soulful writing is hers. There is a depth to to her honest and God-inspired words that resonates. Thanks for sharing.
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