Paul writes to his Ephesian friends about making the most of every day, about not being foolish but instead being wise about what the Lord’s will is. We need not look far to see that we have many chances in a day to live for Him.

In her book The Quotidian Mysteries (1998), Kathleen Norris explores how ordinary tasks are often the fabric from which God weaves our lives and grows us. The book encourages us to seize even mundane tasks as unique opportunities to be formed spiritually. She quotes Gregory of Nyssa, an early church father, who wrote, “Let us remember that the life in which we ought to be interested is ‘daily life.’ We can each of us, only call the present time our own.”

For some of us, it is both painful to realize that the past is gone and fearsome to not know the future. But we can live contented and fulfilled in the present. As tainted with evil as Paul says the days are, we still can capture each moment for God’s glory. Accept with gratitude the challenging and commonplace parts of life as He works through you.