Ordinary.
If you have any ties to the ancient church calendar, then you know we are in “Ordinary Time”—the large chunk of the year between Eastertide (which ends on Pentecost Sunday) and the beginning of Advent. I don’t know about you, but I find that term rather uninspiring.
Do you feel ordinary?
The word is tinged with connotations of not being worth much, yet we know that every day, every person, every space is valuable. Sacred even. So what do we do with 25 weeks of Ordinary Time? Fortunately, we find that the origin of the word is anything but ordinary.
It actually derives from from the Latin ordinem which means "row, line, series, or pattern," and originally was used to indicate a row of threads in a loom. Hmm, this has potential.
What if every day of your life—including today—isn’t ordinary at all? What if your life is being woven together into a thing of beauty? Each smile, each act of kindness, each moment of perseverance in the face of difficulty, each breath of thanksgiving: each one a thread in the tapestry of your becoming!
I believe this is the reality of our days and the promise of Ordinary Time: every moment a treasure to be stewarded, protected, cherished. Even the hard ones, as we discovered last week.
The root of the word also draws my attention to the sense of alignment and pattern inherent there. The beauty of our lives isn’t random. Though it sometimes appears random, unpredictable, certainly uncontrollable much of it. But a pattern is being established…and that pattern the image of Christ in us. (What a relief!) Some patterns are common to all of us (the necessary work of humility, surrender, etc) and some patterns are absolutely unique. A pattern of Christlikeness all your own.
So here’s a question: Do you think the tapestry knows what it’s becoming? Does it see the big picture?
In fabric, probably not ;) …but in you and me, well, still probably not. But at least we trust that something beautiful, something divine, something redemptive really is happening inside us. Something that can bless and heal the world…and even bless and heal ourselves. Because it’s Christ-in-us. We belong to the Weaver, and God has placed (and continues to place) something of the divine life, something eternal and good, into the container of our souls.
I hope you can hold this simple thought and carry it forward into this week, across your summer, and throughout your life.
growing the soul
Imagine with me for a moment the pattern taking shape in your tapestry. How is the combination of colors reflected in your story being woven into a work of art? What title would you place on your tapestry?
serving the world
As the world gazes upon what you are becoming, what impact would you like to have upon them? What would you like them to feel, think, or do as a result of your embodied artwork?
takeaway
Be ordinary. :)