The Extra in Ordinary

           Recently I heard someone innocently mention something about the ordinary.  That is a word we all understand. I know the word comes from the Latin root, which means it is regular or a normal occurrence.  We also understand the ordinary as much more than a word.  We understand the ordinary to be a description of most of our lives---at least, most of the time.  Ordinary reminds us also of routine.  My own life is pretty routine.  That is not bad; I welcome routine.

            At least for me, routine is helpful, dependable and overall good.  If I were in pain, routine would be awful.  Generally, I am ok with the ordinary.  I realize I think about the ordinary in similar ways to routine.  Ordinarily, I have the same thing for breakfast.  Ordinarily, I get up about the same time, read the same papers, etc.  Routine spares us from much decision making.  Both ordinary and routine are cousins to habit.  Clearly, there is great overlap between ordinary, routine and habit.  To change a habit usually means my routine is interrupted and my ordinary is disrupted.  That can happen intentionally or accidentally.

            A new thought comes to me.  Out of the ordinary there is always the possibility of extraordinary.  Most folks know the word, extraordinary.  But probably we have not thought too much about it.  Not surprisingly, it also comes from the Latin.  The prefix, “extra,” has been added to ordinary.  It means outside of the normal or routine.  It also implies that something is beyond the ordinary.  Most of us think the extraordinary is clearly different from the ordinary.  Extra suggests something is laid on top of the ordinary.  It can mean more---as in more than merely the ordinary.  We get an extra scoop of ice cream or we get to stay up later than usual.

            Admittedly, I never thought about the ordinary and extraordinary in terms of spirituality.  Now is a good time to begin that exploration.  I begin by positing that ordinary can be the base line for being human.  Ordinary means there is a predictability to human growth and development.  Kids turn one-year old and begin speaking.  Towards the end of that year and into the third year, kids learn to walk and run.  Language and movement become standard means of being human.  Peers become important in our adolescent years.  Routinely, the years bring work, sometimes families and the like into our lives.  We get old and then we die.  That is ordinary.

            I suspect into even the most ordinary life comes some occasional serendipity.  Serendipity offers a touch of the extraordinary.  But usually, these occasions do not last.  They are nice, but not controllable.  Sometimes our ordinary life is interrupted by some extraordinary unwanted occurrence---illness, bad luck or something.  Sometimes these can linger and many times they also are not controllable.  The best we can do is cope with it.

            And then there is the Spirit.  If I can invite the Spirit into my life or, perhaps, welcome the Spirit when it comes to me, then I always invite and welcome the extraordinary into my ordinary life.  It is not simply an add-on; it is “more.”  To welcome the Spirit is to opt for becoming spiritual.  I can put it theologically, as the Apostle Paul, did in Galatians when he said to become spiritual is to say, “it is not I” but it is “Christ who lives within me.”  This suggests to me that the extraordinary is not an add-on, but it is a “different from the normal me.” 

            To become spiritual is to become different from the normal me---a new person, as Paul once again proclaimed.  I have a new center and a renewed focus.  This comes with a new purpose and delivers meaning in a way I never experienced.  Effectively, becoming spiritual means my ordinary is transformed.  Truly spiritual folks are not ego-driven.  They are drawn to a life of service and compassion. 

            Only in the Spirit does it makes sense to say, “not my will.”  Only in the Spirit does it make sense to say, “ok, your will is the way.”  To submit to the way of the Spirit is to be open to the extraordinary in life.  I am willing to give up who I ordinarily want to be and what I ordinarily want to do.  Of course, this requires both faith and courage.  I don’t have it down to a science.  I am still more of a child in my early formation and education.  I know so well my ordinary way of being and doing, it is not easy to give this up so that I can be extraordinary.  Sometimes I even have a difficult time trusting that I can be extraordinary.

            But that is God’s promise.  Each of us is designed for and extraordinary life.  We are special.  We are indeed a child of God.  Sadly, the church has so often turned that idea into an ordinary thing.  They relegate being a child of God simply to being good, conformist, and passive.  This saps the marrow out of what it means to be extraordinary.

            To be extraordinary typically feels very special and blessed.  It transforms our existence into vitality.  It turns our plodding into a dance.  It transforms the monotone of life into the rhythm that is necessary for dance.  To be extraordinary requires a whole new range of verbs to describe life: dance, bounce, soar and so much more.

            The extraordinary is not hard to find.  It is always in the ordinary.  That is where we find the Spirit.  Find the Spirit and the extraordinary comes.  The extra in the ordinary.