# Finding God in the Boredom of Daily Life
*2009-03-30*

> Bill Young reflects on Numbers 21:5 and how routine boredom can become an opportunity for prayer and gratitude, drawing on Brother Lawrence’s practice of the presence of God.

## Scripture Reading

We begin with Numbers 21:5: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? For there is no food and no water; we detest this miserable food.” In the previous chapter, Moses struck the rock and water flowed, yet the people’s complaint was not thirst but the monotony of their meals.

## The Problem of Routine

The complaint in the passage points to a deeper issue: boredom. When our days consist of the same tasks—washing dishes, doing laundry, mowing the lawn—we can feel stuck in a rut. The sameness can make us forget the blessings of food, work, and even the simple act of breathing.

## Brother Lawrence and the Presence of God

Brother Lawrence, in his classic work *The Practice of the Presence of God*, suggests that we can turn ordinary chores into moments of prayer. He recommends working with our eyes closed, not to avoid the task, but to open our hearts to God’s presence in every action.

## A Practical Exercise

Today, whenever you notice boredom creeping in, pause and ask yourself what is causing the feeling. Then, turn that awareness into a prayer of gratitude. Thank God for the very thing that seems tedious, recognizing that it is a gift that allows you to participate in His ongoing work.

## Today's Prayer

Unchanging God, help me to recognize you in the ordinary and unchanging things of my life. Grant me the grace to turn boredom into gratitude, and to offer each routine task as a prayer of thanksgiving.

*Even the most monotonous moments can become encounters with God when we pray with gratitude.*