Real Life: Ordinary Days

Monday, February 23, 2009

Ordinary Days

Yesterday? Today? Tomorrow? Before long we have strung together a couple of weeks, a month or a lifetime of ordinary days.

Ordinary days are not what she had in mind as she blushed when her parents announced her betrothal to the boy that she had known most of her life. Ordinary days were far, very far, from her mind as she considered, with hope and excitement, her future. Ordinary days were somebody else’s problem, some other time; some other place.

That was so long ago; a dream? No reality! Time has a way of changing perspectives. Ordinary days were no longer foreign, but had become close company.

Sure circumstances of her life had turned out differently than she had dreamed. That was true for everyone, isn’t it? Exactly why she ended up in nothing but a series of ordinary days was not exactly clear to her. She had resigned herself into believing that things just seem to work out that way. The circumstances might differ but, if the truth were known, plenty of her neighbors had just as many ordinary days as she did. Maybe that was how life was supposed to be?

Another ordinary day; another ordinary task; another ordinary walk, she mindlessly approached her destination. Familiarity with the path allowed her to walk with her head down lost in her own thoughts so she was surprised at his presence. As a matter of fact, it was so very unusual that anyone would be here at this hour of the day, far more unusual that it would be a man.

Perhaps, if she busied herself in her task, she could get her job done and leave without much notice. She kept her head appropriately down, looking at the ground so as not to attract attention.

"What?" Did he say something? Was he talking to me? No, there must be an unseen person because surely he wouldn’t be talking to me. It just wasn’t done; it wasn’t right, a strange man just didn’t talk to an unknown woman in their culture.

Again? He said something again. As she lifted her wary eyes from her feet toward the man everything about her ordinary day was about to change.

Give Me a drink, he said.

Her head quickly snapping back to her feet, she replied, How is it that you, being a Jew, ask me for a drink for I am a Samaritan woman?

If you knew the gift of God and who it is that says to you "Give me a drink", you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.

Ordinary days, even in the worst of our circumstances we never intended to live our lives in ordinary days. How did we get here? Where did our life get off course?

Perhaps its time for each of us to lift up our eyes to the One who offers us a drink of living water.

Linger at the well of contentment and peace and joy and love and kindness and goodness and faithfulness. Drink deeply of the life giving waters of infinite purity and feel its cool, refreshing presence as it washes over you!

Discover Extraordinary days!

(Taken from John 4:5-30)

2 comments:

Jeanie said...: Awesome writing, Jim Kept me speed-reading the whole way.

A Max-Lucado-in-the-making?; February 24, 2009 at 6:41 PM
Real Life said...: You are far too kind. My writing continues to be a bit of a time challenge as I attempt to finish my book.

Thank you for the comment and for taking the time to come back to this blog.

Jim; February 25, 2009 at 9:43 AM

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My Story

I grew up a Mormon. For the first 25 years of my life Mormonism was my life.

Here is the rest of my story:

At the birth on our firstborn, I began to grasp a hint of a love that was unearned and unconditional. The long awaited event took some unusual turns which resulted in our son being born cesarean. As the hours moved on my joy and anticipation changed to deepening concern. With no one to talk to or no where to turn I hung in until our son was born early the next morning. As I left the hospital with both my wife and my new son doing well I was very weary but unsettled in my mind. As I arrived home, I walked out into our back yard and looked up at the billions of stars in the infinite universe and was overwhelmed with my smallness and insignificance. I can’t remember what I said or even what I thought but I know that was a beginning.

When I say “beginning” I mean that it was a beginning of a sort of “quickening”. As I look back I can see God’s hand in different people and events throughout my life. For example, a junior high school friend of mine happened to choose the University of Utah, also my school, and got heavily involved in Campus Crusade For Christ. He never preached to me; at least not in words, but his life showed me much. Further, my wife's extended family were strong Mennonites. When they found our that she was marrying a Mormon I have no doubts that they prayed a lot for me and us, even at and during our wedding itself.

My wife's sister had had a resurgence in her spiritual life and shared books with my wife like books by Keith Miller and Ann Kimmel Anderson and Chuck Colson’s “Born Again”. I would often pick them up a read a little very critically when my wife wasn’t around. I could go on and on about all that God has done to get my attention.

Back to the “beginning”. Having a new child my wife and I increased our attendance at a local Presbyterian church from attending on the big holiday’s to attending semi-regularly. We had gotten into a habit of going pretty regularly. While there each time, I would sit and silently critique to services. Pompous was my attitude; gracious was God’s. While I sat there silently critical, God’s word was being planted.

After several months I received a job opportunity to move to a small town in Utah (Moab) to further my career. The small town atmosphere appealed to us because we thought it would be a better place to raise a family.

When we moved to Moab, we discovered that there was no Presbyterian church in the town. That required us to look around a bit. I didn’t much care but as often happens in small towns, my wife happened upon a few people who went to a local Community Baptist Church.

The people were friendly so my wife suggested we try it out. The first service that we attended was most notable for what it wasn’t than what it was. The building was big, the membership was small. The pastor was from Romania and spoke in a very rough English, a significant change form the polished Presbyterian sermons.

Unknown to me at that time, God had moved us to city where He could remove the “her church” mindset and where He could show me the sincerity of heart through a humble servant who would not allow words to get in his way of communicating God’s love.

This kind pastor visited my wife and me shortly after our first attending the church. I was prepared to graciously accept his ignorance and give him a few minutes to make his appeal. I was completely taken off guard by his demeanor. Tenderness and care flowed with that pastor. As he talked with us he was completely accommodating. Knowing my Mormon background did not alarm nor disconcert him. He kindly invited me to attend or participate to any degree that I chose and offered himself to us in any manner of our need.

The new job that I had moved to Moab for was a mining facility 10 miles south of town. During my half hour lunch I would generally sit in my office and eat my lunch while reading a book or magazine. As God opened my heart a sliver more, I decided to fall back what I “knew” so I picked up a bible decided to would walk out in the woods around the mining compound every lunch time and ask God to show me the truth. As I read in the Bible, I resolved to find some of the mistakes that Mormonism had taught me were there. As I discovered what I perceived to be mistakes and questions, God used my ignorance to encourage me to read in search of more.

At this same perios of time, my wife and son left me alone for a week to visit her parents in another town. One evening I decided to do a little work on our car. When I say “a little” I mean a very little. My skills end a bit past putting gas in the tank. Anyway, I turned on the TV just to have some company while I struggled with the car just outside the front door. As the evening wore I would walk in and out of our apartment for different things. As I walked through one time I picked up on what was being said on TV. Not having any idea what I was watching, I heard to words, “Three Keys to Better Health and Miracle Living” followed by an offer for a free book by calling the 800 number on the screen.

The words “better health” and “miracle living” were an invitation specifically designed for me. There is nothing that could have assured my attention more completely. I called the number and ordered the free book from Oral Roberts Ministries. I cannot tell you today what the book said but it was one more tool in God’s arsenal.

As God continued to work on me, He opened a discussion between the Company’s receptionist and me about spiritual things. She was searching and we talked a lot about questions and issues. God used her to help define some of the many issues in my theology.

There are just so many things! God is so good. How could I ever begin to explain His working, even in my own life?

He opened up another career opportunity which required a move back to the Denver area. When we came back we were no longer comfortable “her” church and we thought we were suited to the Baptist church since that was in the name of the one we had been going to. We search for several weeks to find a church that “fit”. We found THE church that was the perfect fit for us at that moment, a non denominational Christian church. What a blessing those people were to us!

Obviously, this is the brief version of my story. I will end this brief history here with the hope that it has given you a flavor for what God has done to get this hard headed, stiff necked, obstinate, never gets it right but always thinks he is, guy.

Real Life

Monday, February 23, 2009

Ordinary Days

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