As we pursue our purposes, we have a tendency to mind only the future and not the present. Our minds are always set on the next thing to do and we miss out on the little things that count around us. Every bit of our journey to achieving our goals is as important as the goal itself.
We are constantly busy and always moving. This is good but we must stop to smell the flowers and share a drink or a meal with friends. We must stop even in the midst of deadlines to have a laugh or just breathe. Purpose is a journey and not necessarily a destination. Everything and everyone on the trip make up the complete story of our purposes in life. If we do not pause to recognize the events within our processes our stories of purpose may not be complete.
For instance, our children’s stories are not only their birthdays, graduations and wedding days, but every day of their lives. If we recognize only their ‘big days’ it does not make the telling of their stories complete. Life itself is a miracle but not every moment in life is spectacular. As a matter of fact, sometimes, the ordinary moments of our lives are even more rewarding than most.
Mary was just an ordinary girl, but one day she had a divine visitation that changed her entire life and story as she became the carrier of the precious seed Jesus. Of course overwhelmed by it all she needed to share her story with someone with a similar story and she set out to visit her relative Elizabeth, wife of the priest, Zachariah whom she had heard was miraculously pregnant too! It was supposed to be just a normal visit between two pregnant relatives, maybe a little harmless family gossip, but it took a prophetic turn unprecedented by both of them. As soon as Mary raised her voice in greeting to Elizabeth, the child in her (Elizabeth’s) womb leaped and not only that, Elizabeth also began to prophesy! This was a moment indeed. When the ordinary changes form a moment happens.
Back in another time and age, a young widow by the name of Ruth, a Moabitess relocated from her native country to Bethlehem with her mother in law, Naomi. Both women were widows and they had no man to provide for them, so Ruth undertook the position of provider. Every day she would go out to glean behind the reapers according to Jewish laws and custom for the poor. One day, she took a seemingly ordinary detour and “happened” to come on to the property of Boaz, the richest landowner in Bethlehem who also just happened to be Naomi’s kinsman! The life and times of this ordinary and poor Moabitess widow was so significant that a whole book was dedicated to tell her story in the Bible. Silently, the Lord is showing us in this story not to ignore the ordinary because it counts too.
Ruth’s life shows that every single day of our ordinary lives are important and adds up to a bigger picture. We cannot stop living or believing just because we have no “breakthroughs.” Every day of our lives is a breakthrough in the making. Those who hold on till the end will have an opportunity to testify of the goodness and faithfulness of God, but those who get weary and quit will have only emptiness and regret as their companion. Life is a collection of moments that eventually lead up to the mountain top life we so desire. Every climb up the hill of life is as important as the top of the hill itself. We just need to hold on and persevere because God is working it all out for us.
Ruth may have been an ordinary girl with no connections, status and money, but she put her best foot forward every day of her life. Life had dealt her a bad hand, but she was faithful and dedicated to every cause she signed on to and so we must. We cannot go to rot because our expectations were not met. There is no excuse for unfaithfulness, laziness and slothfulness – no excuse at all. Give life all you’ve got and watch how all your moments add up to your benefit. Blessings!