Thankful for the Ordinary

I turned 50 a couple of weeks ago. I guess I can officially claim the wisdom that supposedly comes with age now! So here on Thanksgiving Day, I share with you a beautiful poem that is filled with important wisdom for our consideration.

This poem’s originally intended audience was parents. And yet, each of us would be wise to heed the invitation to “make the ordinary come alive,” allowing ourselves to authentically encounter the splendidness and the peace found in life’s ordinary moments.

As I reflected on the words of this poem by William Martin, titled “Make the Ordinary Come Alive,” I wrote down some of my favorite ordinary moments from 2019:

• Praying with my husband and kids.
• Making hot cups of tea after dinner with my daughter.
• A “mama bear” hug I received from a precious friend right when I needed it.
• Being stuck in traffic, which allowed me to listen to the Audrey Assad CD I had just received as a gift!
• Sharing a bedroom with my big sister at our healing retreats, chatting away while getting dressed and fixing our hair!
• My husband’s quiet, steady support.
• The way my 15-year-old son makes his 4-year-old brother laugh.
• Reading scripture.

Each experience, while seemingly mundane on the exterior, pulls me interiorly into deeper awareness of God’s presence and His goodness, which is truly the greatest blessing of all.

Make the Ordinary Come Alive by William Martin
Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable,
but it is a way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples, and pears.
Show them how to cry
when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself.

What 2019 ordinary moments are you thankful for?

Copyright 2019, De Yarrison