Even when laundry piles up, what you do matters to God

Have you ever felt insignificant, powerless, tired, under-caffeinated, under-appreciated or discouraged?

Lea Ann Garfias. “Rocking Ordinary: Holding It Together with Extraordinary Grace.” New Leaf Press, 2016. 192 pages. $12.99If so then “Rocking Ordinary: Holding It Together with Extraordinary Grace” is for you. Lea Ann Garfias, features editor for Home School Enrichment magazine, writes with honesty, humor and insight in a way that had me wondering if she was secretly spying on my life and the lives of my girlfriends.

The book is aimed at women in their 20s to 40s, regardless of their family or career situations. “Rocking Ordinary” will make you laugh as Garfias encourages you that you matter, that what you do matters and that you make a difference even when laundry is piling up, dishes are dirty, kids are crying and you haven’t had coffee yet. This book will help you to breathe a sigh of relief that these struggles do not define you.

I have a full-time job in the challenging social services field, am the wife of a minister and have two very strong-willed (stubborn) young daughters. My life feels like a to-do list, and when I go to bed, it’s easy to think about what I perceive as failures instead of focusing on victories.

Shiloh Jones | What we’re readingReading Garfias’ book helped me more clearly see that loving my family well, striving for compassion and not comparison with friends and serving where I am is a noble and worthwhile calling.
  
“God uses ordinary lives in extraordinary ways if we have the courage and the faith to simply obey wherever we are,” Garfias writes.

We can all rock at ordinary. We can make an extraordinary difference right where we are, once we are able to look above the piles of laundry, past the fussy children or work stress and into the truth that God shows us.

Read this book and buy copies for your girlfriends and family members who also need this powerful reminder. A leader guide is available for small-group study.

SHILOH JONES is a social worker in Denver, where her husband, Josh, serves as youth minister for the University Church of Christ.

WHAT ARE YOU READING? Share your thoughts on the books, music and films that influence or impact your faith. Send your suggestions to [email protected].