"The mystery of the ordinary"

"As a pianist, I find that my competency depends on one thing above all: consistent practice. I take little joy in practising scales and arpeggios, and most of the time I skip them in favour of more melodic pieces. When I do so, however, I find that the grander pieces themselves seem, more like work than joy. I do not play scales for their own sake, but in order to play the grander pieces I must build on the daily mystery of the ordinary." Philip Yancey

"Live your life by grace, on purpose, everyday in little ways, to please God." pastor Rob Prokop

"Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out." (Romans 12:1-2, The Message Bible)

Two days ago, I was writing about aiming to live a holy life regardless where we are at, because this is what we are called to do. We can talk a lot and we can depend on "Jesus loves me yes I know for the Bible tells me so", but at the end of the day we will be judged or rewarded based on what we do with our lives. Bat Melech has this joke which really makes me laugh when I hear it: "I don't want the Heaven's gates to close and catch my clothes because I barely made it. For me it matters how I get there." As I was saying in my previous posting it can be a bit daunting to even begin to live a holy live in a world that permanently tells me I don't need God, that I am too young to pursue such interests. I mean where do I even start? Do I have to give up on everything that's fun and walk around with a hallow on my head?

I asked Adonai these questions quite a lot and in one way or another He seems to show me and guide me, because I seem to learn new things all the time. Toda, Adonai sheli. I came across the paragraph from Mark 14:3-8 again. The passage is quite famous, it tells the story of a woman who came to Yeshua when He was in the house of Simon the Leper. She brought with her a jar of alabaster, containing a very expensive perfume made out of pure nard. She broke her jar and poured all the expensive perfume on Yeshua, in an act of worship. The disciples got quite annoyed as they considered it a waist that could have been prevented and the money from the perfume be given to the poor, but Yeashua defended the woman, because He understood what she did. He said: "Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. .." (Mark 14:6)

When I read the last sentence I realised that's all He's asking. "Do all you can? Seek with all your heart? Try with all your might and all your strength?" That's it! As Bat Melech says, "He knows my limits". He really knows how much I can and as long as I make up my mind every day to do my best for His sake, that's enough. There are times when I will be like a spiritual giant soaring on the wings of faith, praying and reading and learning and that's great. But there will be times when I will hardly drag myself, discouraged and disorientated and feeling lost, but as long as I stretch my hand to Him even there and without knowing much else I tell Him "Abba Tov"- "You're a good Father to me, even if I don't understand", that's enough.

I discover more and more with every desert that I cross, that this Christian walk is not a "fake it till you make it" business, but it's about being honest to myself and to my God: "I am not well, Adonai, but I do not forget what you've done for me so far" That sounds fairly simple if I put it that way, doesn't it? And it really is. But then there is the other enemy- routine, the ordinary, the every day "I think I've seen this movie before" life.

I am back to my 9-5 office job. And God knows it is not my dream to interpret rules and regulations to solicitors for the rest of my life. I do not want to go and face pile upon pile of application forms, sometimes nasty customers whose main training in their life is to prove to the rest of humanity they are less educated. I dream to be more and do more, but I know I am here because He put me here. So what do I do then? Get annoyed, rebel? Tell Him I am trying my best to live a holy life everyday and it would be nice for Him to give me what I want right now? Yes, I could do that. I don't think I would get to much of a reaction from Him though, because Abba has this habit of ignoring spoiled brats and stroppy children. I don't want to be that in His sight. I want Him to grow me, help me become an adult that He is proud of, a child of His who learnt to choose well on her journey. So, if I am not good at something, I will practice. God knows I have a drummer next to me showing me everyday that practice makes perfect. I will show Him faith in His purpose for my life by waking up everyday and going to my job and doing my absolute best to be a friend to my colleagues a good advisor for my customers and a good employee for my company (if anyone from work reads this, please note I am not trying to win brownie points:-) and He will take care of the rest.

I titled this posting the mystery of the ordinary, because there is a mystery in all this. If I carry on every day, doing all that I can and giving my best, one of these days I will hear Him saying this: 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' (Matthew 25:21)

And believe it or not that is all I want in this life.