Extraordinary Life

"O LORD, you are my God;

I will exalt you 

and

praise your name,

for in perfect faithfulness

you have done marvelous things,

things planned long ago."

Isaiah 25:1

Routine.  Mundane.  Predictable.  Monotonous.  Tedious.  These are words that sometimes describe my life.  Henri de Lubec, 20th Century theologian has said that, "Habit and routine have an unbelievable power to waste and destroy."


It feels like that sometimes.  Even though I am a person who loves routine and thrives in the ordinary, everyday stuff of life, I do sometimes feel weary of the usual and long for a diversion. . .an interval of the uncommon.


Feelings can get me in trouble.  When my life is rooted in the regular, I must embrace it with passion and delight.  This is the position in which God has placed me for this time.  How do I keep from becoming worn-out with the commonplace that is my life?


Remember my God!  He is far from ordinary, mundane or predictable.  He has done marvelous things.

Creation 

There is no time as extraordinary as springtime.  New life is all around, beckoning me to take a deeper look.  Tiny buds are popping out of dead-looking branches, giving hope when I feel dull and lifeless. 

Robins busy digging for worms herald an awakening of the earth, much as my heart is roused by the hope found in my Savior.  

Happy daffodils spring forth from the dormant soil, trumpeting the entrance of new life where once was only death. "I once was lost,  but now am found. . .

Looking at the marvelous intricacies of God's creation is one way to remember His greatness in the midst of the common.

His Mighty Hand

I enjoy Charlton Heston's portrayal of Moses in Cecil B. DeMille's epic The Ten Commandments, especially when he stretches his staff over the Red Sea and proclaims, "Behold His mighty hand!"  

I may never witness a miracle like the parting of the Red Sea, but the work of His mighty hand is all around me.

It is in the tiniest bit of softening occurring in a loved one's heart, only perceptible upon the closest of scrutiny.

Or it is perceived as I awaken one day realizing the fog has lifted from my soul and I am free to step into the sunshine.

Perhaps His mighty hand is found in the tender comfort of a much needed word of encouragement.  

God is busy all around me.  Jesus reminded me in John 5:17 that, "My Father is always at His work to this very day. . ."  Do I notice?

Searching for the miracles found here and there is another way to remember His greatness in the midst of the common.

Redemption

I am a fallen creature without hope of a future in and of myself.  I cannot save myself from the problem of sin.

God expects perfection.  That is His standard for my life.  If I want to have a relationship with Him and spend eternity in His presence, I must perfectly obey every law, statute and commandment He ever put forth. 

Knowing my own inability to love my family, I know I can't even begin to meet this expectation.  Thankfully, God loves me enough that He made a way for me to get to Him despite my failures.

Jesus Christ is my hope!  He took the punishment for my sins, for all the times I fall short, and in so doing, made a way for me to get to God through faith.  I have been redeemed!  My life has been saved from certain death in the sacrifice Jesus made for me. . . and for you.  We now can reach the state of perfection through faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ! Not that we are perfect. . .but that the blood of Jesus covers our sin making us white as snow. 

Astounding.  Unspeakable.  Shocking.  Mind-boggling. 

Remembering the redemptive work done in great agony and sacrifice by Jesus Christ on the cross is another way to remember the greatness of God in the midst of the common.

In light of God's amazing creation, His miraculous works, and His indescribable gift of redemption, my common life is not so ordinary after all.  If I really pay attention to all He is doing around me, I can honestly say my life is extraordinary!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remember to look for all God is doing around me at any given moment.

How do I choose to ignore God's mighty hand in the midst of the mundane?

When do I adopt a spirit of ungratefulness despite His many blessings?