Welcome to the nineteenth episode of The Laundry Basket Liturgy, a devotional companion for Christian mothers longing to embody shalom in the midst of their real, ordinary, everyday calling. We continue the second season of the podcast, The Quotidian Mysteries — inspired by the reflections of Kathleen Norris and centered on living into the sacredness hidden within ordinary life. In this episode, we explore the recovery of wonder. Together, we reflect on the psalmist’s prayer, “Open my eyes,” and consider how motherhood can gradually train us to become practical rather than perceptive, efficient rather than attentive. While children naturally marvel at the world around them, many mothers quietly lose their capacity for wonder beneath the weight of responsibility. Yet God’s creation continues to proclaim His goodness. Wonder is not reserved for extraordinary moments. It is awakened when we learn to see ordinary life with fresh eyes. This episode is an invitation to slow down, recover childlike attentiveness, and rediscover the beauty, mystery, and grace hidden within the everyday. + In this episode, we explore: — Psalm 119:18 and the prayer, "Open my eyes" — why mothers often lose their sense of wonder — the invitation to recover childlike attentiveness — Kathleen Norris' vision of "the mystics of the quotidian" — how God's creation continually points us back to its Creator — why wonder naturally leads to gratitude and worship + Embodied Practice: Choose one ordinary thing near you. A cup. A flower. A loaf of bread. A child’s hand. A beam of sunlight. Spend one full minute simply observing it. Not analyzing. Not evaluating. Not rushing. Simply receive it as though you’ve never seen it before. Then quietly ask: “Lord, what beauty have I overlooked?” + Domestic Liturgy for Today: As you move through your day— cooking, cleaning, driving, walking, working, waiting— whisper: “Open my eyes.” Not because wonder is absent. But because it is already there, simply waiting to be discovered. + Featured Quotes from this Episode “...We might best confront the mystery of our daily lives by doing as Jesus suggests, and look to small children, who have a wondrous capacity for living in the present moment.” — Kathleen Norris, The Quotidian Mysteries “The true mystics of the quotidian are not those who contemplate holiness in isolation... but those who manage to find God in a life filled with noise, the demands of other people and relentless daily duties that consume the self.” — Kathleen Norris, The Quotidian Mysteries + If this episode blessed you, consider sharing it with another mother who might appreciate it as well. + To receive future episodes, devotionals, and spiritual formation resources straight to your inbox, subscribe to The Kingdom Mother on Substack. You'll even receive a free gift when you do. + If you’d like to help sustain this ministry, you can become a paid subscriber on The Kingdom Mother Substack. Paying subscribers receive access to the private Kingdom Mother Community—which includes an exclusive monthly podcast/audio teaching, a monthly book club, and a private chat thread over on Substack. Your generosity helps support the writing, podcasting, and spiritual formation resources shared that serve mothers with truth, beauty, and embodied peace right in the midst of the ordinary. Get full access to The Kingdom Mother at rachaelalaia.substack.com/subscribe
