Just Another Ordinary Life

Today is the end of the 2nd week of school. We are starting to get into a rhythm around here. The girls are used to leaving the TV off during the week now (although they still try to see if we’ll let them turn it on every so often), homework is being completed every night (usually with some prodding) and lunches are made every morning (ugh--'nough said there!).

My girls are still too loud most days and make some strange noises—both intentionally and unintentionally. They still throw fits—even though we don’t waver on the consequences. They still tell us “No!” even though they get themselves in trouble by doing so. I still struggle to remember what I had planned for us to eat for dinner tonigh when I went to the grocery store a few days ago.

Pretty ordinary.

Shouldn’t a Christ-follower’s life be exciting? As I was sitting here this morning thinking about the life of Jesus, I kept thinking of all the great miracles He performed and all the people He taught. And what a non-ordinary life He led.

And then I remembered His first 30 years. The years only referred to a couple of times. And I wonder what those days were about for Him? I wonder if He ever felt they were ordinary (read: boring) or if He was thankful for the basic-ness of them in light of what was coming?

Thankfully, I won’t be dying on a cross for everyone’s sins (seriously, you people would be out of luck, cuz I’d chicken out after the 1st lash of the whip, save myself and tell y’all to figure it out on your own). So I don’t have that to look forward to.

But, there’s much to be said for the times when life just seems to be going along with no huge lessons in it for me. To be totally sacrilegious here, I keep thinking of the Karate Kid “waxing on, and waxing off.”

So, maybe the ordinary times are a time of preparation. Maybe they’re intended to be a time of rest. Maybe there’s no purpose at all. BUT, that doesn’t allow me to turn inward in those times.

After all, wasn’t Simon Peter having an ordinary day of fishing when Jesus called him?