Washing Dishes with Jesus

Remain in the Mundane

Grapevines in my Garden

My husband and I grabbed two grapevines from Lowe’s on a whim. “If we get one, we might as well get two,” he said with a smile. We ended up with five pink hydrangeas, three dwarf banana trees, two fig trees, and yes, two grapevines—that escalated quickly! I’ve never grown grapes before, but the thought of climbing vines on the pergola sounds lovely. The vines will have plenty of room to crawl up and over the pergola creating a shady spot to sit and relax. And you need plenty of shade in the Florida heat. Although, it’s the humidity that gets ya!

Do you know how fast grapevines grow? I can’t believe how quickly the vines are climbing. One vine has already reached the top of the pergola— the overachiever. I’m surprised at their speed. I love watching the green stems crawl and curl toward the sun. I water; they grow. And when one waters grapevines, one meditates on John 15.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:1-4 NIV

Breakfast & the Book of John

John is my favorite book of the Bible. In the beginning was the Word. Behold, the Lamb of God! I am the bread of life. Remain in me, and I in you. John’s gospel is full to the brim. It’s the first book I wanted to read with my young children around the breakfast table. We talk theology between bites of bacon egg burritos. “Mommy, can we fly in heaven?” my five-year-old inquires with a silly smile. I do my best to rightly divide the word of truth and answer their humorous questions all before someone starts crying— an exercise in patience and perseverance. Oh, how I love those kids. Oh, how becoming a mother is a catalyst to deeper intimacy Father. Oh, how I am desperate to remain in Jesus each day. I cannot mother with a sound mind unless I remain in the vine.

I Must Remain

While it’s true that raising children requires a lot of remaining, I am increasingly aware of my own personal need to remain in Jesus each day. I must remain when life gets hard. I must remain when my theology crashes into my real life. I must remain when hard conversations arise. I must remain when preparing to speak. I must remain when words fall short. I must remain when frying the bacon, writing the Substack, and reading the Gospel. I must remain in the vine while walking down each aisle of Publix and standing on each platform I’m invited to— both ministries in their own way.

Lately I’ve been asking Jesus to expand my understanding of what it looks like to remain.

Staying Behind

“How do I remain more in you, Jesus?” I prayerfully pleaded last night on my walk. The words, “Remain in me,” rattled around in my brain for the last quarter mile of my post dinner walk—10,000 steps a day, they say!

My pace slowed, stride shortened, legs eager to return home— 6,000 steps will have to do. I finally made it to my driveway and plopped down on the front porch rocker. Scenes of a dinner party played out in my mind. (No, not The Office episode. Although I could quote the whole hilarious show if you wanted me to.)

The dinner party is over, the guests wave goodbye, and the night has come. It’s time to roll up sleeves at the sink. “You want me to stay behind and help clean up?” a friend offers. Two friends reflecting, retelling, and remaining. Tender moments.

Cue Webster’s—Remain: to stay in the same place or with the same person or group. especially: to stay behind. : to continue unchanged.

What does it look like to stay behind with Jesus at the kitchen sink when the day is over and the house is quiet? How do I linger in His presence and lean on His everlasting arms? How can I stay open to unexpected tender moments? How am I allowing Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith, to set my pace when the world rushes me along? How does my heart return, reflect, rejoice— remain?

Remain in the Mundane

Remaining in Jesus during mundane activities of everyday life is where fullness of joy is found. Oh, I could tell you stories of when the Lord met me at the kitchen sink, on the front porch, and in the hallway late at night. If we were having coffee, I would definitely tell you about the time the Rock and Redeemer ascended into my room while I nursed my fussy toddler to sleep—a miracle in the mundane.

You know what’s amazing? Jesus really does answer the door when we ask, seek, and knock. He opens the door. But the party is over and so we wash dishes together— we remain in the mundane together.

Here’s the funny thing, I thought Jesus would reveal some new, secret level of remaining I wasn’t yet tapping into yet. Of course, there has to be more. There has to be a more productive way of remaining, right? When I asked Jesus how I could “remain better,” He gave me a vision of a friend staying behind to washing dishes—something we’ve been doing together for years. And then I remembered something I wrote about this very idea.

Cue words I wrote last year:

God meets me here.

There's nothing holy about hands in hot water. I don't feel spiritual standing at the sink. But He speaks even still.

I hear Him.

My mind unwinds from the day as I wash, rinse, and dry. In the winding down, He stirs my heart even still.

The sink is my prayer closet in this season of life. He knows I need to clean. He knows I need Him more.

The God who sees us is the God who meets us- anytime, anyplace.

Over the last few years I've come to enjoy hands in hot water. I look forward to standing at the sink because it's here where the Spirit speaks.

Friend, wherever you are right now, He longs to speak to your heart. His word says when we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us.

Draw near anytime, anyplace. He is ready and waiting.

Yes, He will speak at the kitchen sink.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat

Just like the daily act of washing and rinsing dishes, we repeat daily acts of devotion to our Lord. We read the word. We pray. We return. We reflect. We rejoice. We wash, rinse, and repeat. And when life gets hard, we look to Jesus. We weep, we wail, we worship, we wait, we wonder, we wave our white flags of surrender and find rest in His outstretched arms.

We remain. We wash our minds in His word, we rinse our hearts in His presence, and we repeat.

Wash your mind in His word, rinse your heart in His presence, and repeat.

Photo by Andrew Valdivia on Unsplash

An Invitation

Friend, I don’t know where you are on your walk with Jesus. I don’t know if you’re longing for more or satisfied with what you have. But I do know that intimacy with our Father in heaven is greater than anything this world has to offer. Remaining in Jesus is like going to Lowe’s for a can of paint and ending up with a cart overflowing with delicious fruit trees and beautiful blooming flowers. When we stay behind with Him at the kitchen sink, He remains in us by filling our heart to overflow. When we remain in Him, He remains in us. And that’s a promise, dear one.

I encourage you to read John 15 today. Read the world aloud, write it down, find a good commentary, and pray the Holy Spirit will help you to remain in the mundane. And when you’re finished reading and praying, stay behind with Jesus for a few more minutes— linger. Because He longs to speak and fill your heart to overflow.

Now it’s time for me to wash a sink full of dishes!

Grace and Peace,

Audra