Exceptionally Ordinary

Happy New Year! I know I’m a bit late, but I think its still acceptable to say that until at least the middle of January right?? Well with the holidays ~ baking, shopping, parties, family gatherings, baking some more, having a houseful of people AND having Caleb out of school for 2 weeks, I found it a bit difficult to sit down long enough to post anything.

I love bringing in a new year, a clean fresh beginning with no marks or mistakes. January also causes me to get very reflective, I like to look back on the past year to see how I did. Was it a good one? Did I have more ups than downs? Am I closer to being who I want to be? What did I learn? How have I grown and changed....or have I grown and changed at all? Looking forward, I have decisions to make this year…..will I make the right ones? There are transitions and changes coming for my kids....how will they handle them? How will I handle them? I know we get a chance at a new beginning each and every new day, 365 days a year, but there is just something about the New Year that challenges me to take stock of my life.  When I did that this year  there were a few things that were clear to me 1) I have SO much to be thankful for and  2) that my life is a bit mundane and ordinary. Lets face it, unless your some wealthy celebrity, everyone has some part of their life that's mundane. We all have house work and chores that can seem tedious and monotonous. I was reminded of a really great quote that I wrote on a slip of paper and stuck in the back of a book....I found it not long ago..

“It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God -- but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life..." ~ Oswald Chambers

 

Isn’t that a great quote? I think the question though is how to be exceptional in the ordinary, that’s the kicker ……no one really spells out how….. I kind of wish there was a list of instructions on that one. I happen to be the ordinary queen, a large majority of my time is taken up doing laundry, lots of laundry, changing diapers, lots of diapers, work, cleaning, meals, shopping, appointments and on and on. I would love to be exceptional in all of it, rise above the mundane-ness (is that a word?) and be able to focus on the special people I’m serving.
I’m working on that.....its one of those things that you understand and “get” but when your not looking routine and mundane-ness steal away your focus again.
Its this quote by Mother Teresa that has really helped me with this ~  "Do small things with great love”.
There’s the secret, its doing all the ordinary and mundane things with love, it puts your focus on the people you are serving instead of the task. That is how we become exceptional, a life filled with love. Mother Teresa certainly was a stunning example of that. There can be really beautiful moments in ordinary life, if we are looking for them.

So that's my resolution for 2012 ~ to be intentional in focusing on serving and loving people instead of the monotony of the daily grind. So here’s to 2012, and serving our families, friends and community with exceptional, great love!