I admit it. Sometimes I get caught up in the hype of churches having 10 Christmas Eve services; top contemporary Christian recording artists as guests, and production teams making custom videos. It’s easy to get caught up in the “bigger is better” trend.
And I love technology. It’s a constant battle to exercise self-control to keep from up-grading my phone every six months and to resist the temptation to get the “latest and greatest.” Advertisers do a great job of making us think we need the newest version.
On top of the first two, I love to eat! One of my favorite shows is “Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives” and I’ve come close accepting Guy’s challenge to spread some of that pesto on a flip-flop. The ability of the camera crew to capture everything but the aroma drives my salivary glands crazy and certainly increases my appetite.
But here is what I’m learning: The biggest, the newest, and the most appetizing is not reality; 99% of my life is lived in the ordinary, the mundane, and the routine.
Yes, we have mountain-top experiences when God speaks and moves in ways that are almost indescribable. Yes, we sometimes find ourselves in the valley when God carries us through grief, despair, and pain. But life is lived mostly on the plain – in the rhythm and routine of family, work, and worship.
God meets us in the ordinary.
I sense God speaking, moving, convicting in the quietness of my drive from home to church; when I’m praying at my desk; as I’m visiting someone in the hospital; while I’m listening to a friend. That’s what my ordinary looks like and it’s in those times when I most consistently meet God.
Will you expect God to meet you in the ordinary? Listen. Wait. Be still. He is there and He is not silent.
May we each meet God in the ordinary – as we serve, worship, study His Word, and challenge each other. May we encounter His powerful presence in our work – whether it’s building a house, preparing a meal, or driving a truck. May we experience His fullness in our marriages, families, and friendships. God is already there in all the mundane and routine. God meets us in the ordinary.