September 2011
Hello!
My days consist of ordinary things. Chances are, so do yours. Doing what we do day after day is exactly what makes our days “ordinary.” And you know what? That’s ok.
Now, I understand we all define ordinary and extraordinary differently. You might say balancing multiple bank accounts, paying bills, and depositing checks is extraordinary work. I would say teaching 20 1st graders is extraordinary. My point is this, we don’t often perceive the lives we live with grandeur.
I have been thinking recently of what it is that makes me, me. What makes me unique? What makes me special? Maybe it’s the stage of life that I’m in, but I think that we all want to be unique, special, even extraordinary. However, I’m coming to the realization that I don’t need to be exceptional. I’m finding my identity through the “ordinary”. I’m ok with being a cog in a small Christian non-profit organization. Sure, my job can viewed as boring, (You know it’s true. There’s not much glamour in accounting.) but as Jean Vanier, a Catholic French-Candian humanitarian, put it, “We are not called by God to do extraordinary things, but to do ordinary things with extraordinary love.”
My prayer request this month is this; that we would all pour the love of Christ into our ordinary lives.
Support Update:
I am 80% of the way to my monthly support raising goal. I would love to have $300 more in monthly commitments by the end of 2011.
Thank you for your continued prayers. I am blessed to have the support of loved ones who care about me and about the work that God is doing through Word Made Flesh around the world!
With gratitude,
Jeff Swart