Before I went on the race, I remember reading blogs about the amazing, extraordinary things God was doing through people. I could not wait to be one of those people on the race. I was on the field one whole month and nothing epic had happened. I wanted God to do amazing things through me so badly. I had this expectation that being a missionary around the world, praying over people that something big would happen. I had this realization during our first squad debrief after month one: in order for God to do the extraordinary through me, I have to find meaning in the ordinary.
What this meant to me, after taking time to process what that meant and what it would look like for me to start living like that on the race, I realized how true it was. God is always working and everything He does is extraordinary. I needed to learn to trust God and remain faithful while he does the so-called “ordinary” things, and as we walk through this journey together he will show me the extraordinary things. My mindset had to change because as the race has gone on things I once looked at as ordinary, I now see how extraordinary God is through them.
Being here on the race, some weeks we are in the same routine, and I found myself in the same mindset of not seeing God. When really God is there, I just need to look for Him in the small things. God is a miraculous God and can do miraculous things, but He also is in the small, ordinary things as well. I have been reminded of this again and again.
Sometimes you just have bad days, and it’s in those bad days that looking for God in the small moments that can make the day so much better. There have been times on the race where I clean all day, every day for the month. I am exhausted and I do not want to clean anymore, but I have been learning to see how God is being glorified in those moments. Cleaning is just an ordinary task, it’s not like bringing a nonbeliever to Christ, but someone is being blessed by the cleaning because it is one les thing they have to worry about, and possibly blessing them in even more ways I could not be aware of.
So instead of always trying to look for the really cool, unbelievable moments in ministry & everyday life, change focus and look for what God is doing in the small, seemingly unimportant moments. That is where God is and so often we miss it. I know I do, all the time. Life will always turn into a routine at some point, and it’s choosing to not let the routine become mundane and letting all the awesome things God is doing just pass is by. We need to choose to see and find meaning in the ordinary, and once our perspective changes I believe you will start to see God do some amazing things through you.
