The Ordinary

or·di·nar·y
1. of no special quality or interest; commonplace; unexceptional
2. plain or undistinguished
3. somewhat inferior or below average; mediocre
4. customary; usual; normal

ex·traor·di·nar·y
1. beyond what is usual, ordinary, regular, or established
2. exceptional in character, amount, extent, degree, etc.; noteworthy; remarkable

Of these two words, which one draws you in? Or in other words, which would you want to describe you?

For most, we would pick extraordinary. This is because we, as humans, strive to be extraordinary; we want those Olympic-like moments in our lives that set us apart from others, we want to be noticed and known, and we want to be called anything but normal, usual, mediocre or below average. We want to be different. We want to be extraordinary. We want more.

We talked about this at church today, about the want for an extraordinary life over an ordinary life. The story of Dorcas (Acts 9:36-4) is the story of an ordinary woman who is brought back to life by Peter. As far as we know, she wasn't anyone special or important; she was just an ordinary woman who was always doing good and helping the poor (verse 36) by sewing clothes for widows. Yet, when she died and Peter was brought to her, so many people were there grieving over her death. But why were they there? And why did her story and resurrection bring so many people to come and know the Lord? Because she as ordinary. Because she took an ordinary job of sewing clothes for widows, became devoted to it and did it to the best of her abilities.

We strive for the extraordinary and the big moments. But maybe we're being called to do something else. Maybe we're being called to work on the ordinary things in our lives. We underplay and underestimate the power of living an ordinary life. We overlook those things because they aren't interesting or exciting to us. But maybe that's what we're supposed to do. Why not take the ordinary things in our lives, and work as hard as we can at them? Why not be like Dorcas?

It's easier to do the extreme things over the ordinary things. But why is that? Why is it that the extreme moments that almost never or very rarely occur are so much easier than the ordinary every day moments? Why is it easier for us to go somewhere like Africa for two weeks to love on people we don't even know, but we can't even love our own roommates? Maybe that's just it; maybe it's because those moments never come around, and when they do, it's exciting and different.

I won't lie and say that I don't struggle with this. I look for the exciting moments in life, and I would never want to be called mediocre or below average. There are times that I think my life is boring, and I wish that there would be more extraordinary moments to look back on. And it's sad really, that I look at my life this way. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that the ordinary moments stick out just as much as the extraordinary moments. And I also realize that I should take the ordinary things presented in my life and become devoted to them and do them to the best of my abilities. It's the little things in life, the ordinary things, that make us who we are.

Maybe we're called to be ordinary. The more I look at it, the more I'm starting to think that just being ordinary isn't that bad.

Make the Ordinary Come Alive by William Martin (revised)

Do not strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable, but it is a way of foolishness.
Instead find the wonder and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Find the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples, and pears.
Learn how to cry when pets and people die.
Learn the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive.
The extraordinary will take care of itself.