Case in point...
Avery: “I want to wear this.”
Me: “No, honey.”
Avery: “Why?”
Me: “Oooh boy…”
It’s easy for me to recognize when Avery isn’t ready for something (she’s also asked me several times if she can drive the car!). It’s much harder to recognize when I’m not ready for the things I ask God for. I’m a visionary. I am a dreamer. I want to see my big-picture plans come to pass…NOW! God has spent the last several years teaching me to relax, embrace the growth process, and thrive in the here and now, ordinary aspects of life. It can be a tough pill to swallow, unless we discover the joy of inviting God into the common and sometimes boring details of life.
I’ve spent a good chunk of time reflecting on the Christmas story over the past month. There’s so much to marvel at, but I’ve especially been drawn to the reality that an indescribable, unprecedented, and exceptional God invaded our normal, banausic, humdrum lives. The creator of all things and for whom all things were created became like us. The extraordinary God placed himself in a surprisingly ordinary position, born as a helpless baby.
When we think of Jesus’ life, don’t we typically think of the supernatural? He was conceived in the womb of a virgin, he walked on water, fed the five thousand, healed the lame, opened the eyes of the blind, raised the dead, and was raised from the dead. These are all true and wonderful aspects of the supernatural life of Jesus. He was 100% God in the flesh.
At the same time we tend to overlook that he was also fully human. There were aspects of his life that were quite normal. I can’t help but think that he went through the same growth and development process that we experience. As John Eldredge pointed out, “Baby Jesus had poopy diapers.” Somewhere along the way he had to learn to walk. I doubt he jumped to his feet at 10 months and started break dancing. I picture him as a toddler taking a few steps and face planting. What about as a teenager? Was he awkward and gangly with periods of embarrassing acne, or was he perfectly unblemished and ready to grace the cover of a magazine at any moment? Did he have to learn how to navigate the Jewish social cliques as a teenager without selling his soul to popularity? I guess we don’t really know. The Bible doesn’t mention it. It just states that he was fully human, and so we can assume he experienced many of the same challenges we have.
I think one of the hardest stages for him must have been in his early to mid-twenties --at least it would have been for me. He’s a man by now. He’s seemingly ready to start his mission. Why wait any longer? Let the miracles begin! Let’s get this party started. The quicker he gets to the cross, the quicker he can return to his glory in the presence of the Father. But, that’s not what we see in the Scriptures. He doesn’t take a short-cut. He refuses to force himself onto stage before his scene. He patiently waits for the Father’s perfect timing. He gets a job as a carpenter and he works. He pays bills. He embraces the process. It must have been an incredibly ordinary season of life. Father, you called me to save the world and here I am building chairs. What is happening?!?!
Why is this important? Because we must remember that Jesus understands the ordinary seasons of life. He’s been there, and he can relate. He also desires to inject himself into the ordinary details of our day to day grind. This is a game changer we when we truly understand it. There is not a single detail of your life that Jesus is disinterested in. We make a mistake when we compartmentalize the things that we ask God to help us with and the things we try and do ourselves. Jesus said, “You can do nothing apart from me.” (John 15)
Avery wanted to go swimming last week. I broke the bad news to her that we weren’t going, and she certainly let me know what she thought of that “nonsense”. The bottom-lip came out, the tears started rolling down her cheeks, and her cry—which turned into a scream—became increasingly piercing. I tried calming her down, but she wasn’t having it. Then, in passing, I said, “Jesus will help you wait. He’ll help you be patient.” I didn’t initially think she really heard me through the screaming and gasping for air, but something must have registered. It worked. She started to calm down, and we made it through the rest of the day without another mention of the pool.
I soon forgot about this little episode, and we eventually made it to the pool a few days later. As soon as her eyes saw the familiar waterfall, she jumped up and down in sheer excitement and said, “Yay! Jesus helped me wait! Thank you, Jesus!” Ashley and I looked at each other in utter amazement. It was obvious to us that Avery really did allow Jesus to help her. It was a learning moment for me. I began to wonder what my life would look like if I allowed Jesus to help me with the common challenges I try and take on myself.
Isn’t it easy to pray when we have an emergency? What do you do when you have bills to pay and not enough money in the bank? You pray. What about when your marriage is hanging on by a thread, or when the doctor looks at you with a concerned face after reading your reports? We cry out to God and plead for his help. God surely wants to help with all of these scenarios, but he also wants to help you with the ordinary things of life.
Speaking of ordinary, I just went upstairs to change a diaper. Then, I started typing again only to pause and help my wife unload the groceries. When I’m writing, I don’t like to be interrupted. I was irritated and frustrated. To add to it, she told me that I was putting the groceries in the wrong place (apparently the biscuits don’t go in the pantry…Who knew?). As I searched for the strength to respond graciously, I was reminded of my own counsel. I turned to Jesus and asked for his help. I sensed him smiling, and sure enough, he gave me the patience I needed.
Isn’t this how many “World War III” marriage fights begin? It starts with something small that somehow balloons into something quite serious. What if we would develop a habit of turning to Jesus each time we sense the aggravation stirring within us? Marriages could be restored and transformed. Imagine the transformation that could happen in every area of life if we simply engaged God in ongoing conversation. (“Pray continually”—1 Thessalonians 5:17)
It’s really a win-win. Not only will we increasingly discover the richness of who he is, but we’ll also access the same power that breathed the stars into existence and raised Christ from the dead as we tackle our daily challenges.
I think this was his plan the entire time: for us to live an extraordinarily ordinary life.
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