• Facebook
  • Twitter

Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art

  • Home
  • My Books
  • Essays
  • Contact
  • About Me

Housework as a Pathway to Prayer—with Vermeer’s Women

By Anita Mathias

Johannes Vermeer - Het melkmeisje - Google Art Project

You can almost hear the silence. The milkmaid is quiet, so quiet, and time is suspended as she pours  milk.

The hands work while the mind thinks.

Is it a life of drudgery, or is it a gift–her trivial chore a window into eternity, time to think, to pray, to look out of the window into God?

300px-Jan_Vermeer_van_Delft_019
Vermeer’s women lose themselves in: housework.  It glows!  Is this domesticity?  Can it be?  That’s the way I want to live my life, slowly, tranquilly, not fighting the irrelevant relevant, the distracting, trivial and necessary tasks of my days, but embracing them as an oasis of contemplation in which desert flowers may bloom.I gaze at Vermeer’s women.  I trust things that help me lose track of time–reading, writing, gardening, hiking, the sea, art galleries, prayer, good movies, good conversation.

Vermeer’s paintings, poems one might say, on the radiance of domesticity are more moving when we learn of the hurly-burly of his household–a wife, eleven children, and a feisty mother-in-law.

Those paintings that could have been called “Shanti, shanti, shanti” or “Tranquility”  are probably sighs of yearning, images of an elusive Eden.  They hint how manual work–if used as time for contemplation–might be redeemed.

lacemaker

 

I now view the trivial necessary tasks of life which I used to bitterly resent—as (in small doses) gifts: time to pray, time to seek direction, time to worship, time to sense God’s love.

I am reading Pete Greig’s Red Moon Rising about the birth of 24/7 prayer movement in Britain. “Pray constantly,” the exhortation of the apostle Paul has challenged and puzzled us through the centuries.

As my life grows busier, I relish these accidental windows into prayer: rooms to be tidied, gardens to be weeded, laundry to be sorted, little windy passages into contemplation, to situating myself again in the love of God, and finding peace.

More from my site

  • When Shackles become Wings: On Domesticity, Creativity, and MeWhen Shackles become Wings: On Domesticity, Creativity, and Me
  • “Useless Prayer” by Henri Nouwen“Useless Prayer” by Henri Nouwen
  • The Life-Changing Practice of MeditationThe Life-Changing Practice of Meditation
  • Writing and PrayerWriting and Prayer
  • On the Benefits of Writing Down Our PrayersOn the Benefits of Writing Down Our Prayers
Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter

Filed Under: Finding God in Domesticity, In which I play in the fields of prayer Tagged With: 24/7 Prayer, contemplation, domesticity, Pete Greig Red Moon Rising, Prayer, Vermeer

« Previous Post
Next Post »

Comments

  1. Mollie Lyon says

    June 22, 2014 at 10:39 am

    Catching up on your posts, so the comment I made on your recent one with Henri Nouen, may go with this as well. My dish washing time growing up, looking out the window at our yard I felt for sure was the precursor to Heaven comes to mind as I read this post. Oh, I resented, yet now love the hours I spent cleaning that house as my thoughts roamed and often landing on God. When I had a cleaner, a ‘complete Jew,’ I played praise music and she loved it. Now, I’m older and appreciate quiet.

    • Anita Mathias says

      June 23, 2014 at 10:46 pm

      I still play worship music when I clean, though often enjoy turning it off, and thinking or praying or letting my thoughts wander!

  2. Gail Daniels says

    June 18, 2014 at 10:43 am

    Thanks Anita, as someone who hates housework and tends to rush at it in irritation and haste to get the necessary over with, I really enjoyed the post, and the pictures are wonderful, so calming. I will try and use these thoughts to change my methods in future!
    God bless, Gail

    • Anita Mathias says

      June 19, 2014 at 1:05 pm

      Oh, I have resented it housework for most of my life, and have only, in recent years, used it as time to think, plan and pray! The hands work while the mind thinks!

  3. bluecottonmemory says

    June 18, 2014 at 4:20 am

    “They hint how manual work–if used as time for contemplation–might be redeemed” – oh, yes, – how the daily work becomes a praise gift to Him. I’m learning to find the love letters in the daily – in things like the blue of the apron in the painting above -or the task of my hands. I so enjoyed the art – and the message!

    • Anita Mathias says

      June 18, 2014 at 8:04 am

      Thank you. I stopped over at your beautiful blog too. You are raising those boys so well!

  4. Elizabeth Jones says

    June 18, 2014 at 2:37 am

    Anita, this reminds me so much of Brother Lawrence! Talk about practicing the presence of God.

    I don’t know whether I mentioned it, but the Church Council met last Friday. They’ve asked me to be part-time pastor for their little congregation. And, I decided that my sermon series for the summer will concentrate on . . . wait for it . . . prayer!

    May God be with us both as you and I strive to be more faithful in prayer. @chaplaineliza

    • Anita Mathias says

      June 18, 2014 at 8:06 am

      Congratulations, Elizabeth. I am sure you will be a wonderful pastor. What a wonderful outlet for your training, passion and experience.
      And I just prayed that your series on prayer will inspire your congregation. I would have chosen that too–that or on Jesus!

  5. mari howard says

    June 16, 2014 at 10:46 am

    Way to go, Anita! Housework a wonderful blessing – think of the exercise one gets, as well as the chances, as you say, for contemplation, plus service to others, etc, without even having to put special time away. Multitasking, of a sort!

    (But, my maternal grandmother worked as a housekeeper before marriage, so it’s in the nurture, and maybe in the genes, for me!)

    Th e Vermeer is beautiful, isn’t it?

    Ironing very good for a quiet, rhythmic break, as one irons the clothes and enjoys the wonderful designs on the fabric… often inspired by nature. Gardening the real thing, down among God’s creation, creepy-crawlies and all. 🙂 All best, Clare

    • Anita Mathias says

      June 18, 2014 at 8:10 am

      Hi Mari, I must admit I have a cleaner, and an early-retired husband, so I don’t do much about the house, 15 minutes or less most days (except for the cleaner days when I spent a couple of hours tidying and decluttering). But I enjoy what I do, and find it contributes to my happiness. And to my shalom. (I never iron though!)
      Gardening, however, I love, and I spend an hour a day doing it.

Sign Up and Get a Free eBook!

Sign up to be emailed my blog posts (one a week) and get the ebook of "Holy Ground," my account of working with Mother Teresa.

Join 643 Other Readers

Follow me on Twitter

Follow @anitamathias1

Anita Mathias: About Me

Anita Mathias

Read my blog on Facebook

My Books

Wandering Between Two Worlds: Essays on Faith and Art

Wandering Between Two Worlds - Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Francesco, Artist of Florence: The Man Who Gave Too Much

Francesco, Artist of Florence - Amazom.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

The Story of Dirk Willems

The Story of Dirk Willems - Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk
Premier Digital Awards 2015 - Finalist - Blogger of the year
Runner Up Christian Media Awards 2014 - Tweeter of the year

Recent Posts

  •  On Not Wasting a Desert Experience
  • A Mind of Life and Peace in the Middle of a Global Pandemic
  • On Yoga and Following Jesus
  • Silver and Gold Linings in the Storm Clouds of Coronavirus
  • Trust: A Message of Christmas
  • Life- Changing Journaling: A Gratitude Journal, and Habit-Tracker, with Food and Exercise Logs, Time Sheets, a Bullet Journal, Goal Sheets and a Planner
  • On Loving That Which Love You Back
  • “An Autobiography in Five Chapters” and Avoiding Habitual Holes  
  • Shining Faith in Action: Dirk Willems on the Ice
  • The Story of Dirk Willems: The Man who Died to Save His Enemy

Categories

What I’m Reading

Apropos of Nothing
Woody Allen

Apropos of Nothing  - Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Amazing Faith: The Authorized Biography of Bill Bright
Michael Richardson

Amazing Faith -- Bill Bright -- Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Stephen King

On Writing --  Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Acedia & me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer\'s Life
Kathleen Norris

KATHLEEN NORRIS --  Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk


Andrew Marr

A History of the WorldAmazon.com
https://amzn.to/3cC2uSl

Amazon.co.uk

Opened Ground: Poems, 1966-96
Seamus Heaney

Opened Ground: Poems, 1966-96 Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Archive by month

INSTAGRAM

anita.mathias

Writer, Blogger, Reader, Mum. Christian. Instaing Oxford, travel, gardens and healthy meals. Oxford English alum. Writing memoir. Lives in Oxford, UK

Images from walks around Oxford. #beauty #oxford # Images from walks around Oxford. #beauty #oxford #walking #tranquility #naturephotography #nature
So we had a lovely holiday in the Southwest. And h So we had a lovely holiday in the Southwest. And here we are at one of the world’s most famous and easily recognisable sites.
#stonehenge #travel #england #prehistoric England #family #druids
And I’ve blogged https://anitamathias.com/2020/09/13/on-not-wasting-a-desert-experience/
So, after Paul the Apostle's lightning bolt encounter with the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he went into the desert, he tells us...
And there, he received revelation, visions, and had divine encounters. The same Judean desert, where Jesus fasted for forty days before starting his active ministry. Where Moses encountered God. Where David turned from a shepherd to a leader and a King, and more, a man after God’s own heart.  Where Elijah in the throes of a nervous breakdown hears God in a gentle whisper. 
England, where I live, like most of the world is going through a desert experience of continuing partial lockdowns. Covid-19 spreads through human contact and social life, and so we must refrain from those great pleasures. We are invited to the desert, a harsh place where pruning can occur, and spiritual fruitfulness.
A plague like this has not been known for a hundred years... John Piper, after his cancer diagnosis, exhorted people, “Don’t Waste Your Cancer”—since this was the experience God permitted you to have, and He can bring gold from it. Pandemics and plagues are permitted (though not willed or desired) by a Sovereign God, and he can bring life-change out of them. 
Let us not waste this unwanted, unchosen pandemic, this opportunity for silence, solitude and reflection. Let’s not squander on endless Zoom calls—or on the internet, which, if not used wisely, will only raise anxiety levels. Let’s instead accept the invitation to increased silence and reflection
Let's use the extra free time that many of us have long coveted and which has now been given us by Covid-19 restrictions to seek the face of God. To seek revelation. To pray. 
And to work on those projects of our hearts which have been smothered by noise, busyness, and the tumult of people and parties. To nurture the fragile dreams still alive in our hearts. The long-deferred duty or vocation
So, we are about eight weeks into lockdown, and I So, we are about eight weeks into lockdown, and I have totally sunk into the rhythm of it, and have got quiet, very quiet, the quietest spell of time I have had as an adult.
I like it. I will find going back to the sometimes frenetic merry-go-round of my old life rather hard. Well, I doubt I will go back to it. I will prune some activities, and generally live more intentionally and mindfully.
I have started blocking internet of my phone and laptop for longer periods of time, and that has brought a lot of internal quiet and peace.
Some of the things I have enjoyed during lockdown have been my daily long walks, and gardening. Well, and reading and working on a longer piece of work.
Here are some images from my walks.
And if you missed it, a blog about maintaining peace in the middle of the storm of a global pandemic
https://anitamathias.com/2020/05/04/a-mind-of-life-and-peace/  #walking #contemplating #beauty #oxford #pandemic
A few walks in Oxford in the time of quarantine. A few walks in Oxford in the time of quarantine.  We can maintain a mind of life and peace during this period of lockdown by being mindful of our minds, and regulating them through meditation; being mindful of our bodies and keeping them happy by exercise and yoga; and being mindful of our emotions in this uncertain time, and trusting God who remains in charge. A new blog on maintaining a mind of life and peace during lockdown https://anitamathias.com/2020/05/04/a-mind-of-life-and-peace/
In the days when one could still travel, i.e. Janu In the days when one could still travel, i.e. January 2020, which seems like another life, all four of us spent 10 days in Malta. I unplugged, and logged off social media, so here are some belated iphone photos of a day in Valetta.
Today, of course, there’s a lockdown, and the country’s leader is in intensive care.
When the world is too much with us, and the news stresses us, moving one’s body, as in yoga or walking, calms the mind. I am doing some Yoga with Adriene, and again seeing the similarities between the practice of Yoga and the practice of following Christ.
https://anitamathias.com/2020/04/06/on-yoga-and-following-jesus/
#valleta #valletamalta #travel #travelgram #uncagedbird
Images from some recent walks in Oxford. I am copi Images from some recent walks in Oxford.
I am coping with lockdown by really, really enjoying my daily 4 mile walk. By savouring the peace of wild things. By trusting that God will bring good out of this. With a bit of yoga, and weights. And by working a fair amount in my garden. And reading.
How are you doing?
#oxford #oxfordinlockdown #lockdown #walk #lockdownwalks #peace #beauty #happiness #joy #thepeaceofwildthings
Images of walks in Oxford in this time of social d Images of walks in Oxford in this time of social distancing. The first two are my own garden.  And I’ve https://anitamathias.com/2020/03/28/silver-and-gold-linings-in-the-storm-clouds-of-coronavirus/ #corona #socialdistancing #silverlinings #silence #solitude #peace
Trust: A Message of Christmas He came to earth in Trust: A Message of Christmas  He came to earth in a  splash of energy
And gentleness and humility.
That homeless baby in the barn
Would be the lynchpin on which history would ever after turn
Who would have thought it?
But perhaps those attuned to God’s way of surprises would not be surprised.
He was already at the centre of all things, connecting all things. * * *
Augustus Caesar issued a decree which brought him to Bethlehem,
The oppressions of colonialism and conquest brought the Messiah exactly where he was meant to be, the place prophesied eight hundred years before his birth by the Prophet Micah.
And he was already redeeming all things. The shame of unwed motherhood; the powerlessness of poverty.
He was born among animals in a barn, animals enjoying the sweetness of life, animals he created, animals precious to him.
For he created all things, and in him all things hold together
Including stars in the sky, of which a new one heralded his birth
Drawing astronomers to him.
And drawing him to the attention of an angry King
As angelic song drew shepherds to him.
An Emperor, a King, scholars, shepherds, angels, animals, stars, an unwed mother
All things in heaven and earth connected
By a homeless baby
The still point on which the world still turns. The powerful centre. The only true power.
The One who makes connections. * * *
And there is no end to the wisdom, the crystal glints of the Message that birth brings.
To me, today, it says, “Fear not, trust me, I will make a way.” The baby lay gentle in the barn
And God arranges for new stars, angelic song, wise visitors with needed finances for his sustenance in the swiftly-coming exile, shepherds to underline the anointing and reassure his parents. “Trust me in your dilemmas,” the baby still says, “I will make a way. I will show it to you.” Happy Christmas everyone.  https://anitamathias.com/2019/12/24/trust-a-message-of-christmas/ #christmas #gemalderieberlin #trust #godwillmakeaway
Look, I’ve designed a journal. It’s an omnibus Look, I’ve designed a journal. It’s an omnibus Gratitude journal, habit tracker, food and exercise journal, bullet journal, with time sheets, goal sheets and a Planner. Everything you’d like to track.  Here’s a post about it with ISBNs https://anitamathias.com/2019/12/23/life-changing-journalling/. Check it out. I hope you and your kids like it!
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
There has been a problem with your Instagram Feed.

© 2021 Dreaming Beneath the Spires · All Rights Reserved. · Cookie Policy · Privacy Policy

»
«