Although our church isn't very liturgical I know that in the church calendar we have entered ordinary time. This is the long stretch (at least 23 Sundays) where the church just is. We don't have big celebrations like Christmas or Easter - some people take this time off from church because it's just "the normal stuff". I feel like God is calling me to an "ordinary time". I was hoping for some extraordinary times - like having a new little one. But for now, that's not to be. So I think God is calling me to embrace the ordinary and learn to appreciate the daily things. I tend to live life in anticipation of the next thing instead of enjoying what is happening now.
I am surrounded by the extraordinary (two births in the past week, new jobs, moves, etc.) in the lives of my friends and family. However, I don't see many things being too extraordinary in my own life any time soon. The NPR interviewer of Marilynne Robinson commented on how the character in Gilead had to fight against coveting what everyone else had. For many years he was a bachelor without a family and he often wished for what others had - in contradiction to the 10th commandment. The book discusses how this is one of the hardest commandments to keep. I think it's true. Hopefully I can celebrate the extraordinariness in others lives and still appreciate the ordinary in my own.
So, if you see me trying to find extraordinary things to do or making grandiose schemes and plans - please challenge me. I think I really need to just practice living daily with intentionality and enjoying what we have been given. It is easy to hide behind the extraordinary - I think living in the ordinary requires more discipline than I currently have so maybe that is something God will grow in me.
Ps. 46:10a - Cease striving and know that I am God.
2 comments:
I think life in this modern world of ours makes it extremely difficult to do exactly what you are talking about. It seems that everything must be extraordinary in order to be exciting. There is NOTHING harder in the whole world than living one's life daily to the best of one's ability ... most especially as a stay at home mom. God bless you and all others who are striving to make their families the top priority in their lives!!!
Should have said ... God bless all who are striving to make their extraordinary families the top priority in their ordinary lives!!!
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