Repost: Remembering Why We Named Our Blog...

Work And Contemplation

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

"The woman singeth at her spinning-wheel

A pleasant chant, ballad or barcarole;

She thinketh of her song, upon the whole,

Far more than of her flax; and yet the reel

Is full, and artfully her fingers feel

With quick adjustment, provident control,

The lines--too subtly twisted to unroll--

Out to a perfect thread. I hence appeal

To the dear Christian Church--that we may do

Our Father's business in these temples mirk,

Thus swift and steadfast, thus intent and strong;

While thus, apart from toil, our souls pursue

Some high calm spheric tune, and prove our work

The better for the sweetness of our song."

As I was enjoying the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning this week, I found the title of our family blog in the last line of Work and Contemplation. I love this poem because it touches on two themes in our family's life: work and devotion. Coming from a Dutch heritage which prizes and teaches a strong work ethic, my husband has been a wonderful influence in our lives. He's taught (and continues to teach) our children and me to work hard and to derive a sense of pleasure from a job well done.

Sometimes we can get discouraged by monotony or the difficulty of certain tasks. This poem reminds me that not only we can sing while we're spinning, we can focus more on our song than our work. Our work is made better because of the sweetness of our song.

I can easlily be tempted to measure my life only in terms of daily tasks: cooking meals, washing dishes, sorting laundy, organizing closets, weeding gardens, caring for children... I can also be tempted to exaggerate my troubles and trials. Focusing on tasks and exaggerating trials choke out the song I am meant to sing.

When I draw apart and pursue a "calm, spheric (heavenly) tune" it elevates my gaze, readjusts my focus and it prepares my heart to sing.

The "Sweetness of Our Song" (our blog) isn't about a perfect, trouble-free life. It's about a life made sweet by the Great Singer who has given us a Song to sing. I want our lives to be a Song of grateful response to Him.

~Original post: April 29, 2007