Do It All With Thanks: A Thursday Reminder for the Mama Whose Ordinary Work Feels Invisible
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” — Colossians 3:17 (NIV)
It's Thursday morning. The house is finally quiet, and you're standing at the counter with your second cup of coffee — reheated, because the first attempt went cold somewhere between finding the lost shoe and signing the reading log. If someone asked you what you've accomplished this week, I'm guessing you'd hesitate. Nothing big happened. Nothing anyone would clap for.
But here's the thing: this verse doesn't say "whatever you do that's impressive." It says whatever you do. Scrambled eggs. Packed lunches. The fifth load of laundry. The grocery run where you stuck to the list. The dinner you made even though you were tired. Paul wrote this to ordinary people living ordinary days — and he told them the whole thing could be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks.
That means your Thursday counts.
What This Verse Actually Means for a Busy Mom
Colossians 3 was written to people doing regular work in regular homes — wives, husbands, children, workers. Paul isn't describing a special category of "spiritual" activity that earns God's attention. He's saying the everyday stuff is the spiritual activity. Stirring oatmeal can be worship. Wiping the counter can be worship. Not because the task is magical, but because of who you're doing it for and how.
The phrase "with thanks" is the key. Gratitude is what turns a chore into an offering. When you give thanks while you work — even silently, even tiredly — you're agreeing with God that your life, your kitchen, and your family are gifts. And that agreement changes the temperature of the whole room.
Three Small Ways to Do It All With Thanks Today
1. Thanksgiving over the first task. Before you start the breakfast dishes tomorrow morning, say one sentence out loud: "Thank You for this kitchen and the people who mess it up." That's it. One sentence. It reframes the whole day from obligation to gift.
2. Thank God for the invisible work — the kind nobody notices. The replaced toilet paper roll. The snack packed for the field trip. The coffee you poured for your husband before you poured your own. Naming these small things before God matters, because He sees them even when no one else does. Nothing done in love is ever wasted.
3. Let dinner become gratitude practice. When your family sits down tonight (even if it's a 20-minute meal, even if it's takeout on your good plates), take one minute and ask everyone for one thing they're thankful for from today. It can be serious or silly. This single minute teaches your kids Colossians 3:17 better than any lesson plan could — they'll learn that their home is a place where thanks is normal.
A Short Prayer for Your Thursday
Lord, thank You for this ordinary day. Help me see the scrambled eggs and the packed lunches and the reheated coffee as work done for You. When I feel invisible, remind me that You see. When I feel tired, meet me in the middle of the mess. Let everything I do today be done in Your name, with thanks. Amen.
Why I Built Petal Kitchen
I built Petal Kitchen because the "what's for dinner" question was stealing the thankful part of my evenings. When dinner is decided by 9 AM — with the recipe matched to what's already in your pantry and the grocery list handled — you get to spend your actual energy on the people around the table instead of the panic in your head.
That's the heart behind it: less decision fatigue, more room for gratitude. If your Thursday (and every day after it) could use a little more of that, Petal Kitchen is there for you at petal-kitchen.com.
Whatever you do today, mama — do it with thanks. Even breakfast counts.