"Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord."
Ephesians 6:7

With my wife, Tracie, away for two weeks visiting a former neighbor in the Peace Corps in Mauritania, I've basically been called on to perform many of the household duties. Many of them I already do or share. Many of them I don't care for a whole lot. Up until Tracie departed, I was a bit apprehensive about holding the household fort. Looking back over this period of time, I am grateful to God for this opportunity to reconnect in a special way with every aspect of parenting and homemaking.

During this two-week period, I have been strengthened in my calling as father. Yes, I have other callings and corners of service. But fatherhood is a primary calling. I ran across the following statement from Martin Luther that brings a smile and encouragement to those who also discover their noses to the grind of daily chores and responsibilities:

"Now you tell me, when a father goes ahead and washes diapers or performs some other mean task for his child, and someone ridicules him as an effeminate fool--though that father is acting in Christian faith-- my dear fellow, you tell me, which of the two is most keenly ridiculing the other? God, with all His angels and creatures, is smiling-- not because that father is washing diapers, but because he is doing so in Christian faith. Those who sneer at him and see only the task but not the faith are ridiculing God with all His creatures, as the biggest fool on earth. Indeed, they are only ridiculing themselves; with all their cleverness they are nothing but devil's fools."

Dear God, strengthen our calling to serve you in the mundane, repetitive, and necessary tasks of daily servanthood. In the name of Christ, our Servant and Master. Amen

Contributed by Pastor Dan
Published Sunday February 22, 2004
Week 13 of Liturgical Year C