My personality does not prefer to repeat experiences. For instance, I rarely re-read a book or re-watch a movie. I get tired of listening to the same songs. I love to try new foods. In other words, I hate routine. (I’m convinced I would be the worst factory line worker ever.)
I know I am not the only person wired this way. Too often, we humans chase new “highs†in an attempt to escape the boring routines of life. Whether it be through a new relationship, getting lost in the latest streaming series, finding “escape†through substances, going on a new adventure, or chasing after the next win, we want to find some state of euphoria that lifts us from our mundane lives.
But the frustrating thing about “highs†is they always slope back down. There is almost always a return to the routine. The wedding may have been great, but you still end up back at the same job after the honeymoon.
We even see this in Scripture. The Christmas shepherds received an angelic invitation to meet the baby Messiah… then went back to the fields (Luke 2:8-20). A teenage David slew the infamous Goliath with nothing but a sling and a stone… then spent years fleeing from a jealous and murderous King Saul (1 Samuel chapters 17-31). The mighty prophet Elijah called down fire… then hid in the desert from an angry Jezebel (1 Kings chapters 18 and 19). This is why Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes, concluded that the pursuit of the “high†is like a chasing of the wind (Ecclesiastes chapters 1-3).
This has me wondering: What if some of the most beautiful moments in life aren’t found in the “highs†but rather in the mundane of the everyday?
Zack Eswine, in his book The Imperfect Pastor, says, “[In Scripture], God seems to seriously imply that seeing God’s glory, hearing his voice, receiving his good news, and beholding his love was never meant to deliver us from ordinary life and love in a place – it was meant instead to provide the means to preserve us there.†Perhaps it isn’t the escape from the regimens of life we should be seeking, rather the embrace of it, because in the middle of the mundane might be some of our most shaping moments.
As GK Chesterton points out in his signature work, Orthodoxy, children love to say, “Do it again!†They revel in the repeat. But by adulthood, we become like me and don’t “do it again.†However, Chesterton points out that God says, “Do it again!†to the sun each morning and the moon each night. It’s almost as if God delights in the monotony, as if there is splendor in repetition.
So, what if the most beautiful part of the Christmas shepherds’ story wasn’t the angelic visit, but the faithfulness of caring for sheep as they retold the story to their children and grandchildren? What if Jesus’ 30 years in obscurity as a typical carpenter were just as critical as his three years of public, prophetic and miraculous ministry? And what if your most precious moments are found in faithfully making love to the same spouse over five decades, or showing up at the same job for 35 years, or spending consistent time with the kids or friends, or even the daily habits of caring for your body, mind and soul?
I know I will still find delight in a new book or seeing a new national park, but I’m learning there can be something just as valuable when I embrace the mundane. I invite you to join me on this “boring†journey!
