Significant Insignificance

Lord of All Pots and Pans!

Lord of all pots and pans and things,

Since I’ve no time to be

A saint by doing holy things,

Or contemplating thee,

By praying in the dawn-light, Or storming heaven’s gates,

Make me a saint by getting meals,

And washing up the plates.

Although I must have Martha's hands,

I have Mary's mind, and,

When I black the boots and shoes 

Thy sandals, Lord, I find. 

I think of how they trod the earth 

What time I scrub the floor, 

Accept this meditation, Lord, 

I haven't time for more.

Warm all the kitchen with thy love, 

And light it with thy peace, 

Forgive me all my worrying 

And make all grumbling cease. 

Thou who didst love to give men food 

In room or by the sea 

Accept this service that I do 

I do it unto thee

The first couple of lines of this poem are found in the beginning of the book,"The Practice of the Presence of God," by Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a seventeenth-century French monk that learned how to practice the presence of God at all times.  Some have attributed the above poem to Brother Lawrence and some list it as having an unknown author. One thing I can say is that it does match his life. He was a cook for many years at the monastery and then worked in the the sandal-repair shop.

Here are a few of his quotes:


The time of business does not differ with me from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were on my knees.

There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God.

We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.


I first heard of Brother Lawrence when some missionaries from the Philippines, while visiting family in the US, came and spoke at my church. I remember the man asking if anyone there was "practicing the presence"? Me, thinking He meant just having a relationship with God, raised my hand slightly. He explained how that was done (by striving to constantly be in the presence of God) and who Brother Lawrence was. I realized that maybe I raised my hand when I shouldn't have. They told many inspiring stories of their experiences with God in the mission field. There were two things that struck me about this couple--they were completely humble and totally sold-out for God. Everything about them showed their deep devotion to God. Surely they did "practice the presence" and it showed. God was really using them and shining through them.

Another missionary just starting out in their mission, and his little family, were there as well. He had quite a different story. He'd made lots and lots of mistakes in his life and had several failed marriages, but God was using him, as well. He felt called by God to do mission work. His Filipino wife previously had a bad marriage , and ended up alone with her baby, praying that God would lead her to a loving man that she could marry. She did not want to pick this time, because of the mistake before, so she asked God to choose for her. Through much prayer and leading these two did meet. There were a series of signs and answered prayers that accompanied their meeting and their decision to marry, which they described in much detail. The thing that stood out about this man was that in spite of all the bad choices and mistakes in his life, God had called Him and was using Him in a big way. Also, it said to me, that God is the God of second chances, even third or fourth chances. Was he "practicing the presence"? Probably so. Though it wasn't as obvious as the other couple.

When you listen to stories from people like this, it can possibly make you feel like what you do doesn't matter. So I appreciated when the second missionary was through with his story, he said, "Maybe being a missionary isn't your thing- maybe your thing is prison-ministry." Or it could be any other thing God calls you to do.

What I like about Brother Lawrence is that he points out that no matter what we're doing in life, however insignificant it may be, even washing dishes or some other menial task, we can focus on God and have a continual conversation with Him, which makes life very meaningful.

We do not need to be a clergy member or missionary to serve God wholeheartedly. I love being home with my kids and taking care of my home and family and helping out at my church. I spend most of my time doing very insignificant things. I don't have a lot of accomplishments to brag on, but in God's way of viewing my life and the world, what I do--does matter.

Am I making a huge difference in the world? no, but I know these small things I do count.


Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18