I’ve experienced some discouragement in the past year with a few dreams and wishes in my life. It seems I’m on “hold” in some areas of life and in others – well, they just aren’t measuring up to expectations. MY expectations.
The thought occurs to me – what if God doesn’t have excellence in mind for our life? What if He simply has “ordinary” on our agenda?
We grow up being told we can be anything we want. Sometimes we are told how special we are and that someone just “knows” we are going to do great things in life. There can be a great let-down when those great things don’t come to pass. Sometimes, they are simply “good things.”
I know many people who are very content to live life quietly. They don’t want the front seat or the job that gets all the attention. They are joyful simply serving in the background. Then there are others who seem to need the accolades, the attention, the recognition. They thrive on it.
We all have dreams. We all have hidden wishes and desires for our lives. A lot of times those wishes and dreams come attached to some sort of image that we want to live out. Discontent can rush in when we are disillusioned. We never got that basketball scholarship we wanted. Someone else got the promotion at work. Everyone else was invited to the BBQ but us. We can feel rejected, not good enough, and a little (or a lot) lost.
Everyone has these feelings and moments in life. They often just don’t share them because – just like you – they want to be perceived a certain way. But they still have them.
God doesn’t plan that everyone become President. It’s not everyone’s calling to become famous or wildly wealthy. In fact, most of us are on the path of ordinary. We are normal. Everyday people. Hard working. Common.
But it’s okay. Because those are just words. And they are images that WE see. Reputations that WE give each other. The good news is that God sees all of us as special. He has excellence in mind for every one of us and each one of us holds high esteem in His eyes. Just because society doesn’t think that certain jobs or positions in life are worthy – doesn’t mean that God doesn’t. And oftentimes, it’s in the “ordinary” that we learn true humility and contentment. It’s in those times that we discover our true identity instead of attaching that identity to someone or something else in life.
We might be on the road to an “ordinary” life. We may not have grand adventures or amazing peaks and valleys in our life. But we can have rich joys, deep loves, and contentment that flows through our veins. We can find causes and relationships that surpass any worldly recognition that we may have sought.
And just when we least expect it, God may come calling. For it’s the “ordinary” man and woman that He loves to use the most.
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