May 23, 2007

Far from ordinary . . .

Today I’ve a loaf of bread in the oven, need to prepare a meal for guests tonight, have a meeting at noon and another from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., have two projects to finish, and the house could be tidier. This is about ordinary life, hardly anything spectacular or special (except the guests), yet today isn’t about me.

In fact, nothing is. The Bible reminds again this morning that it is all about Jesus Christ. Paul writes eleven chapters to the Romans that describe the incredible salvation plan of God, then has to stop and comment as if overwhelmed by what he has just written:

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
‘For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has become His counselor?’
‘Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?’
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:33-36).

Amen indeed! Everything that happens is according to God’s design. His plan and His goal in all of it is that Jesus Christ is glorified. He works all things together for our good, but that good is that we reflect the image of Christ. His decisions and His judgments honor His Son. Eventually, we will see that all of history is His story; it is about Him.

If there is anything in this passage that is about me, it is God telling me that He knows my penchant to get caught up in the ordinary, to be busy with my to-do list, to simply forget about Him. Oh, if I’m feeling needy, I cry out. Or if someone comes to mind, I often pray for them, but making pie and weeding the yard can consume my minutes and my mind. Ordinary things can become that which I think about the most, not the depth of the riches of His wisdom and knowledge, as Paul calls me to ponder.

Yet my ordinary chores can be a spring board to loftier thoughts. While I’m occupied with today list, I can think how God made the grain that becomes wheat that is grind into flour for my bread. I can reflect on how He spoke into being the ingredients for my salad and supplied the filling that goes into my pie. God gave me the ability to do those things on my list, supplied those places to go and the wherewithal to get there. He also gave us friends to enjoy.

At the very least, my mind can be occupied with gratitude for all of this. At the most, I can be filled with adoration, praise and a sense of awe because this unsearchable God chose to robe Himself in human flesh and reveal who He is—to me, and because ordinary folks having an ordinary day can still worship an extraordinary God.

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