Ordinary things

I want to write a blog about normal things.

Because that is what life is mostly about. I do not run 90k every day, and I do not go to Paris every day. Generally, life is just repeating the same things over and over. Get up early, go for a run, eat breakfast, walk with my son to the bus stop, go to work, and so forth, on and on.

Boring.

But maybe boring is good. It is accidents, relationship problems, sickness, and such things that make life “interesting.” Those are sent on our way to test us and to make us grow. But, they are not always fun.

Maybe we need to see the extraordinary grace of God in the ordinary things. The miracle that my wife and I are still together. All my children are still alive. I have a job. We are all healthy.

There is the simple companionship as my wife does another watercolor painting while I write my blog. Or my son and I are playing carrom, and I am listening to his non-stop chatter about movies and movie characters. There is the pride of a job done well when I research new technology and make it work or when I have a one on one meeting with a colleague, and he tells me the truth about a project or the way he resolved a problem.

There is making music and feeling it deep inside somewhere. There is going on a long run in the rain during monsoon and experiencing the runners high and the smell of the rain and the cold drops on my skin. Or drinking strong coffee and taking time to consciously taste it. Or joking with friends. Or reading the Bible and listening for and hearing the voice of God.

Life is not like in the movies or most books where extraordinary things happen regularly. We are not as resilient as movie characters that can be OK with death and danger and loss. We break quickly but heal slowly. We carry painful, dark secrets with us and they become more the older we become. And God’s grace is enough for us. We love by His power and forgive again and again by his strength. And He gives us hope without which we would not be able to see life for what it is.

Temporary.

There is a beyond. Yes, there will be a time when everything will expire and get folded up and end. That day will be extraordinary as we see Jesus come back on the clouds. (You better believe it. Read about it here)

But there is also today.

And today may be ordinary. Thank God for ordinary days with shopping and dishes and schedules and homework. With frustration and anxiety. With trust and hope.

And love.