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2/6/2023

Ordinary to Extraordinary

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Written By: Alexandria Brown

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When did “ordinary” become such a yucky word in the English vocabulary?

​When did the word ordinary become an insult when we talk about people, places or things? And why?


Everyone wants to do something extraordinary, ordinary is simply not enough anymore…don’t get me wrong, I long to do big things for God and His kingdom. It is not a bad thing to want to do extraordinary things in our life. It’s not a bad thing to have big goals and aspirations. It’s not even a bad thing to pursue them and work towards those big extraordinary things. That is good and great and I wish and pray that more kingdom people would grab hold of and run with what Jesus said in John 14:12 and do what He, Jesus, commissioned us to do, which is to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth.


We know the verses. We say the prayers.


Our Father, Who art in heaven.
Hallowed be Your Name
Your kingdom come 
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven…



Jesus commissioned us to go and make disciples and to go and do the works He had done and even greater. We are called to bring the extraordinary (heaven) into the ordinary.


As I sat, meditating and praying over this verse this week, I felt the Lord asking me this…


Are you willing to give up your view of the extraordinary to receive my (God’s) ordinary?


That question stopped my thoughts and drew my focus in and I began asking the Lord what that meant…


You see, I had been so focused on the extraordinary of what I believed God wanted and still to this day wants to do, heal the sick, bring freedom to those who call on Him, restore marriages and identities, and reunite families, that I was missing the very opportunities for those things to take place in my everyday life, my family and my workplace.


All throughout the Bible when we read God doing big and miraculous things He didn’t accomplish the unimaginable because there was some extraordinary circumstances or greatness that happened. Instead, when He worked miracles it was created out of every day ordinary things and people.


When David defeated Goliath, it was an ordinary day. A day that David loaded up some ordinary food to take to his brothers. Nothing special and yet, on that same ordinary day God used an ordinary person to do an extraordinary act.


When Jesus feed the 5000+ and the 3000+, let me tell you there was nothing extraordinary about those loaves and fish. Gordon Ramsey was not the chef of the day. Just simply ordinary people with ordinary food wiling to let God do something unimaginable. And God took the ordinary and created the extraordinary.


Seeing a theme?


God has called us to be extraordinary IN the ordinary. He has called us to be the salt and the light in the midst of our families and our workplaces, our churches and schools. I wonder how much time I have lost looking for the opportunity to do something great for God. Waiting for the next “big thing” to happen. Waiting for things to fall into place in order for that extraordinary opportunity to show its face and bring glory to God, when in fact, God is simply wanting us to allow HIM to create the extraordinary in the middle of our everyday ordinary? 


What would happen if we created atmospheres of peace and love in the exact place we are? When we are at home and at work and at the grocery store. What would happen if we begin to use the ordinary everyday things to glorify God? Not just when we go to a big conference or on a mission trip or a prayer meeting. What would happen if we took God literally when He said “Go” or “Love God and love others”? 


We don’t have to be the most educated or trained. I wonder what would happen if we truly let God use our ordinary selves in our everyday activities? If God could do so much with plain loaves and fish, what could He accomplish with me, His daughter, His treasure, if I only let Him?


As I sat their contemplating all of this I felt Holy Spirit asking me again, 


“Are you willing to give up your view of the extraordinary, to see my ordinary?”


Maybe this is not something that speaks to you and that is totally fine. 
As for me, I say yes Lord.


God I want all that you have for me. I do not want to miss the things big or small that You want to do in my everyday ordinary. I don’t want to wait for experience to have You move in and through my life. I want You, God, to use my ordinary to bring glory to Your Name.


Love you sis,

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    The Pretty & Wise Collective features:
    Lyndsay Terry - Writer, Speaker, & Creative Arts Pastor @ Kindred Church (Amelia, VA), www.LyndsayTerry.com
    Gay Idle - Author, Speaker, & Pastor's wife @ Kindred Church (Chesterfield, VA), www.GayIdle.com
    Alexandria Brown - Speaker, Ministry leader, & Worship Leader @ Joy! Church (Fernley, NV)
    Olivia Caldwell - Homeschool momma, Writer, MOPS mom, & Bible Study Leader (Chesterfield, VA)
    Tanya Glanzman - Author & Speaker (Midlothian, VA)
    Angie Reese - Girl mom, Teacher, & Missionary (Powhatan, VA)

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