Intimacy in the Mundane

The Mundane. Usually this word has a negative association. The dictionary defines it as lacking interest or excitement; dull. But the last few years, the mundane is where my most intimate and life changing relationships have come from.

The mundane is powerful. It’s where we see the truest parts of people. It’s the day in day out. Walking through hardships and sorrows and joys and laughter together. Seeing every part of someone’s life. That’s when you truly get to know them and love them for who they are.

The same is true for our relationship with Jesus. My intimacy with Jesus in this season has come in the mundane. And it is not something you notice right away. It often feels boring and pointless. The day to day life. It’s mundane. But as you continue to live and engage with Jesus in the mundane, He changes you. And all of the sudden you are a different person because you have allowed Jesus to come into your life and mold your heart. It’s a beautiful thing.

The biggest way that living in the mundane with Jesus has changed me in this season is through daily giving Him my hurts and sorrows and letting Him fill me with more of Him and His love. This season has been full of sorrow and grief. BUT, it has also left me so full and abundantly overflowing, more than I have ever experienced when I was not living with Him.

You see, we were made to face the hardships of this world with Jesus. But to do that, we have to be honest with Him and bring all of it to Him. That is relationship. And I’ve found a deeper level of intimacy with my King in this season by sitting and talking with Him in depth about my worry, sadness, exhaustion, and pain. As I talk to Him about it, it’s an act of handing it over to Him. The more I talk to Him about it, the more I am letting Him in and handing it over. And then He takes it and frees me from it.

It is like when you sit with a friend and share about a hardship. They sit and share in that pain with you. They help carry the burden and it becomes lighter. Except with Jesus, He takes it completely away. Only He can do that. And then He fills us with His love. God’s love. And we receive a new sight. We live in a different reality. (Stay tuned for a blog coming with more on this different reality)

But it is important to remember that giving Him our fears and worry and pain is a daily thing. Maybe even minute by minute until they no longer exist. I’ve been having to do that with a lot of things recently, specifically fears and worries related to finances and fundraising. Yesterday I handed them over to Him but this morning I woke up with anxiety and fear and I started trying to micro manage things. So I stopped and handed it over to Him again. I talked to Him about it. I spent time with Him. And I felt a lot freer.

But I will probably have to do that again tomorrow and the next day and maybe even later today. So I just want to encourage you every time you feel fear or worry or anxiety or anything that is not of Him, stop and hand it over to Him. To your Provider and Protector and Lover and Savior and Friend and Father and King. Hand it over and let His love and peace fill you. Even if just for a moment. The more you do it the easier it will get.

To end, below are two things I have been learning about a life of following Jesus.

First, it’s not a high mountain top experience most of the time. I actually don’t often have that anymore, even when those around me do. But it’s buried deep into my bones. Deep into my soul. The weight and the truth. The way I have chosen to live. It’s who I am. It’s in every moment. And it’s a still, quiet voice in me. It’s calm and soothing. It’s Jesus, in me. And me, in him. It’s my reality now. Through everything that goes on around, Jesus is my reality. Now and forever more.

And second, a life of surrender to Jesus means not always understanding. Actually, it means not understanding most of the time. But even without that understanding, it is a life of still trusting and following Him and His goodness. Because He is ALWAYS good and He is always working all things together for those who love Him.