I’m an ordinary person. Chances are you are too. We both get out of bed in the morning – one foot in front of the other, put on two hopefully matching pair of socks, and fumble our way through our morning half-awake.
If you’re ordinary, you probably don’t have a limo, a million dollars, or a butler standing at your door. You’ve probably never invented something, been on the Today Show, or starred in a made-for-t.v. movie. If you’re still not sure if you’re ordinary, then ask yourself if you have a school loan.
If you do…you’re ordinary.
I used to think that any calling or purpose God had for me had to fit within my ordinary view of life…and myself. Ordinary people don’t get called to do bold or radical things for God. Those adventures are reserved for people who have the means, the time, the wealth, and the status. To be perfectly honest, at times I was secretly glad that I was ordinary because when push came to shove, I knew God would never call my number to do anything out of my comfort zone.
And then he did…
He told me to adopt, to go to Africa, and to start Live Beyond Words. An ordinary person’s logical response would be one of laughter and amusement. Really God? Me? I’m sure there is someone better, smarter, and more equipped than a stay-at-home mom who can barely remember to brush her kids’ teeth. I am sure I sounded a lot like Sarah when she was told she would have a baby at 99.
But this is exactly the type of person God loves to use (or surprise?).
God takes the willing hearts of ordinary people like you and me and uses us to showcase His glory to the world. I’ve since come to learn that being ordinary doesn’t mean one can’t do the extraordinary. You don’t have to move to Africa to be bold or radical in your faith. You don’t have to give a million dollars to make a dent of a difference in the world around you. You don’t have to have a ton of time to invest in someone else. You don’t have to choose between business suits and bibs.
You just need to say, “YES.”
I should forewarn you though; whenever you say, “yes” to God you are signing up for something far beyond an ordinary life. You are signing up to live out your faith. It will change you, inspire you, and redefine you. It will be exciting, painful, overwhelming, and exhilarating all at the same time; and, it might be exactly what the world needs.
What extraordinary thing is God asking you to do and why haven’t you said “yes?”