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Laborare est Ludere
There is a Latin phrase derived from the Benedictine motto that goes “laborare est orare” (to work is to pray), often said simply as work is prayer. As an adult, I can all too easily view the work I have to get done as mere drudgery: a means to an end. But for my children it is different! For them, laborare est ludere, to work is to play. Involving them in an activity like shucking corn is an opportunity for joy and pleasure; they marvel at the shiny kernels hidden beneath the many layers of green, and revel in the feeling of accomplishment when they find themselves capable of completing the task and doing it well. Truly we must “become like little children” (Matthew 18:3), there is so much that we can learn from them! To go forward in my work with a prayerful spirit, I must first recapture that childlike spirit of wonder.
Noel Miller is a stay-at-home mother, writer and photographer. She was born and raised in Chicagoland where she lives with her husband and their three little ones (ages baby to five). She writes about faith, family, and home at www.theologyofpie.com.