Ordinary?

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The above photographs are fairly ordinary elements in nature: wildflowers, waterfalls, butterflies. None of these images will ever grace the front cover of a magazine or be displayed in an art museum. But each, in their own way, faithfully reveal a part of the beauty of God’s creation.
 
Recently, my wife and I were talking about people mentioned in the Bible that are so “ordinary” that their names aren’t even given. Here are three examples:

* A woman who was extremely generous (see Luke 21:1-4)
* A boy who donated food (see John 6:8-9)
* Some people who loaned Jesus a colt (see Luke 19:28-34)

But these regular folks were faithful in doing what God led them to do, without regard to whether anybody but their Heavenly Father knew.
 
I’m an ordinary person. I’ve never been famous, nor will I ever be. So, I’ve found these prayful words by Max Lucado particularly meaningful:

Despite my ordinariness, I belong to you. My Father, give me an ever-larger picture of you so that I might see myself with ever-increasing clarity and revel each day in your amazing grace. Keep foolish pride from me and give me the sense to humble myself in healthy ways that bring strength and joy to everyone around me. Father, give me eyes to see, a heart to respond, and hands and feet to serve you.

(from Outlive Your Life)

I very much want my writing and photography projects to honor God. But, it is also important that I remain faithful in the ordinary have-a-quiet-time, take-out-the-garbage, do-what-I-say-I’m-going-to-do days of my life.