I don't know about you, but sometimes I just feel like I get bored of the same routine. From time to time, it's good to just cast it aside and change it up for a day. This is refreshing. But sometimes, I find myself still feeling "ho-hum" about the day-to-day. Prayer, Morning Time, housework, lunch, storytime, school, dinner, etc... Repeat. Repeat again. Housework, crying kids, fighting kids, diapers, nursing, etc...
I don't know about you, but when you begin something new, it's great and exciting. A new activity, a new routine, a new idea, etc... But then, as time goes on, its novelty and excitement fade and it becomes dull. Then the battle begins to keep trying to stick consistently with what you're doing because you know it's what you should be doing. The virtue of fortitude fighting against the vice of sloth. Sloth is "Sluggishness of soul or boredom because of the exertion necessary for the performance of a good work."
This experience of new to old goes across the board to anyone's state in life. We all get tired of the same old, same old. Man is constantly craving novelty. It's definitely healthy to go on a retreat, change up a routine for a day, or go on a little vacation from time to time. We need that. But, we can't constantly be doing that unless we abandon our duties. Not to mention, even after a while, we'd actually get bored of that too! What becomes new and exciting eventually becomes old and dull.
Why?
This restlessness in our daily state in life can come from a lack of peace within our souls. Because we are not at peace, we must be constantly occupied by "busy-ness" and activities and new things. To be still with nothing to do and in total silence drives people crazy. This might be an ultimate torture for mankind today, who has occupied himself with many frivolous and trivial things, constantly having to have noise bombard his life, from music to cell phones to television to overactivity. These things merely "drown out" our restlessness and lack of peace...for a time. Ultimately, boredom can spring from a lack of peace deep in our souls. And we will either live as wandering nomads within ourselves, or confront this restlessness that springs from not resting in God, as St. Augustine says.
But, it can also spring from a lack of faith in seeing God in our day to day. I remember reading a long time ago about a saint (although I can't remember who...I think St. Faustina) who exclaimed: "Oh blessed monotony!" It really stuck with me: "Wow, this saint, who lives an apparently 'dull' life in a convent where the routine rarely changes save Sundays, can exclaim and be grateful for the monotony of their life! Where is my faith?"
Easier said than done, yet absolutely worth striving for that perspective which is in actuality, reality. Why is this reality?
Saint Faustina in her Diary said: "O life so dull and monotonous, how many treasures you contain! When I look at everything with the eyes of faith, no two hours are alike, and the dullness and monotony disappear." Montony is most certainly always blessed in reality because when seen through the eyes of faith, we see God in everything and know His presence is always with us. We need to ask Him for this grace and practice the Presence of God. This is a spiritual practice elaborated upon by Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection.
Combating the dullness we feel from the montony of life
So how can we combat this feeling of dullness from the monotony of life? By practicing the presence of God.
I will quote from his book The Practice of the Presence of God where he helps us understand this spiritual practice:
The holiest, most ordinary, and most necessary practice of the spiritual life is that of the presence of God. It is to take delight in and become accustomed to his divine company, speaking humbly and conversing lovingly with him all the time, at every moment, withour rule or measure, especially in times of temptation, suffering, aridity, weariness, even infidelity and sin...
We must continually apply ourselves so that all our actions without exception, become a kind of brief conversation with God, not in a contrived manner but coming from a purity and simplicity of our hearts...
Stop your activities and even your vocal prayers, at least from time to time, to adore him within, to praise him, to ask his help, to offer him your heart, and to thank him. Nothing is more pleasing to God than to turn away from all creatures many times throughout the day to withdraw and adore him present within.
How? Brother Lawrence goes on:
The practice of the presence of God is an application of our mind to God, or a remembrance of God present, that can be brought about eitehr by the imagination or understanding....
The habit is formed by the repettion of acts and by frequently bringing the mind back into God's presence...as soon as one is free from his occupations, and often even when he is most taken up by them, the recessed of his mind or the innermost depths of his soul are raised with no effort on his part and remain suspended and fixed in God above all things, as in its center and resting place...He converses with God everywhere, asks him for what he needs, and rejoices continuously with him in countless ways...
It would be appropriate for beginners to formulate a few words interiorly such as, "My God, I am completely yours," or "God of love, I love you with all my heart," or "Lord, fashion me according to your heart."
The effects:
This gentle, loving awareness of God impreceptibly ignites a divine fire in the soul, inflaming it so intensely with love of God...
This practice of the presence of God, somewhat difficult in the beginning, secretly accomplishes marvelous effects in the soul, draws abundant graces from the Lord, and, when practiced faithfully, imperceptibly leads it to this simple awareness, to this loving view of God present everywhere, which is the holiest, the surest, the easiest, and the most efficacious form of prayer.
So here's my problem: I need to work on my fortitude to "keep on keeping on" and I need more faith. I need to practice the presence of God more. I feel like this because I am a fallen creature who is always on the battle against sin. But if I had a greater faith, I would "realize the treasures contained in monotony," and I would see that "no two hours are alike." The dullness and monotony would then just disappear, as St. Faustina says.
On the other hand, I will be heading to a little half-day retreat for mothers that's being held at a local parish; I just found out about it the other day. Maybe the Lord saw that this is just what I need to refresh and renew. He is always taking care of us, isn't He? :)
"The Apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!'"
~ Luke 17:5