Lately, it seems like earth-shattering world events have taken center stage. The shocking news is on blast and the bullhorns and protests are louder than peace. Celebrity status is celebrated, and the "wise sage of the village" is likely to exist in relative anonymity. Many people pay top dollar for tickets to larger-than-life productions to celebrate Christmas. We often expect Michelin star quality food and picture-perfect holidays; simple pleasures are vastly underrated. Social media conditions us to play the comparison game--the only game with no winners. Spotlights and filters fuel our quest for perfection--and our disdain for anything less.
I recently went to see the movie "Journey to Bethlehem" and the message was impactful. There was no pomp and circumstance surrounding the conditions of Mary and Joseph's betrothal. On the contrary, they were simply unremarkable people who took an incredible leap of faith that landed them on the doorstep of destiny. This reminds me of a powerful quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” The fact is that most of life is more mundane than we want to admit. The average person throughout their lifetime spends five years waiting in lines with about six months of that time spent waiting at traffic lights. But those mundane moments still matter!
When you are raised in a household where dysfunction and upheaval are the norm, the mundane is unfamiliar territory. Yet consider this: The mundane contains the mission. David didn't have his sights set on the throne when he was herding sheep on the hillside. Even if your current situation seems lackluster and humdrum, glorify God by doing the ordinary in an extraordinary way. Paul Tripp once said, "If God doesn’t rule your mundane, then He doesn’t rule you. Because that’s where you live.” Ungratefulness creeps in when we dismiss everyday blessings while praying for more dramatic displays of God's power. I can attest that even a dirty crumpled five-dollar bill found at the right moment is a miracle!
How often do we become discouraged when we mistake a small seed for an entire harvest? How often do we miss the simple beauty of a moment just because it did not align with our expectation of grandeur? How many people live as outcasts on the periphery because they lack a title or the trappings of earthly success? Jesus was such a person. Spectacle seekers and naysayers were sure to leave with a sense of profound disappointment, but the hurting and humble found a miracle. How could a king be so content living in the mundane when he should be rubbing elbows with people of influence? No elaborate wrapping--this gift of eternal worth was born in a lowly manger with animals bearing witness to The Nativity.
The sights and sounds of Christmas have begun and the demands of a December calendar can induce anxiety like nothing else. Take a moment and breathe in the simple reality that Christ is enough. Boring moments are portals for peace to filter through. Relish that time to reset, because in those moments, authentic conversations become possible and small decisions can change the trajectory of your life. Consider the eye contact and genuine smile that give someone a reason to live to see another day. The handwritten note that did not require a credit card approval. The spontaneous pillow fight, firepit night and laughter that take place at home when you could not afford the luxury vacation. As 2023 prepares to make its closing arguments, choose to rest your case, and embrace the miracle in the mundane.
1 Corinthians 1:27 (TLB)
Instead, God has deliberately chosen to use ideas the world considers foolish and of little worth in order to shame those people considered by the world as wise and great.
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