When Ordinary is Good, and Good is Ordinary

Yesterday was an ordinary day.

I went to ordinary places, met ordinary people, did ordinary things. There was no chaos or crisis, no excitement or parties, nothing deep and meaningful. I chatted to neighbours, visited our Men’s Shed, did stuff at church, read, wrote, did some gardening, followed the cricket, tennis, football…

I like ordinary. With ordinary there are no unexpected surprises, no dramatic scenes. Ordinary likes order. Even if the ducks aren’t quite in a tidy row, they’re all present and under control. Ordinary is good for the blood pressure and the purse.

We’re encouraged to seek the extraordinary, the exceptional, the excellent; words like ‘ordinary’, ‘satisfactory’, and ‘content’ are seen as second rate.

But yesterday’s ordinary day was a good day. My body, mind and spirit were active, but not over-extended. I reached the end of the day content, satisfied.

When we first had ‘school inspections’ we were given the dates in advance. We put up wonderful displays, prepared all-singing, all-dancing lessons. We tried to create the extra-ordinary, the spectacular.

Then school inspectors gave us less warning… Our ordinary school life and lessons had to be good. I was privileged to work with good teachers for whom good teaching in the classroom, good pastoral care of the children was regular, expected – ordinary.

I love the Jesus narrative. He did ordinary things – went to weddings, visited the temple, ate picnics – that became good. He mixed with ordinary people – fishermen, farmers, families – who were flawed but good.

I have Christian friends who pray that the God ‘who can do immeasurably more…’ will come in power, that God’s transforming Spirit will bring dramatic revival. I’m with them. I believe that God can do – and does do – more than we can imagine…

But I believe too in a God who is in the ordinary. He can make the ordinary good, so that the good becomes ordinary. I check my diary. I’m not expecting the spectacular or extraordinary today, but I do expect that today will be good.