Dear Rose Park,
I had breakfast with a friend yesterday morning at The Biscuit in Washington Square on the south side of Holland. If you haven’t been there, I’d highly recommend it as the breakfast tacos certainly have me hooked. It was a beautiful morning: humidity was low, the sun was rising, the birds were singing, and the coffee was hot.
We got to chatting and in the midst of one of our conversations, my friend said, “you don’t have to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results.” The statement didn’t hit me at the time, but it continued to swirl around my brain throughout the day. In hindsight, it’s obvious the Holy Spirit was at work in this friend, in this breakfast meeting, and in this conversation. If you spend just a brief time thinking about this statement, the truth is astounding.
You don’t have to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results. Please don’t confuse this statement as an encouragement for mediocrity, but instead hear this statement in the context of discipleship, teaching, prayer, relationships, worship, and even parenting. There is so much pressure to reinvent the wheel or chart new paths when it comes to leading the church, raising children, managing teams, and forging relationships. But in reality, sometimes the most simple actions create the most powerful reactions. Again, you don’t have to do extraordinary things (or even be someone or something extraordinary) to get extraordinary results.
Jesus discipled twelve ordinary fishermen and changed the world. You don’t have to do something special to pray for someone. You don’t have to be someone special to invest time, energy, and resources into the life of the church. You don’t have to have thousands of followers on Pinterest to raise a child with the love of Jesus. You don’t have to be married to care for someone like family. You don’t have to have a beautiful singing voice to praise God. You don’t have to have a Masters of Divinity to spend time in God’s Word. You don’t have to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results.
So, if you feel like you’re doing nothing extraordinary that’s OK. Sometimes the most simple actions create the most powerful reactions. Sometimes the card in the mail is the invitation someone has been praying for. Sometimes the hug or handshake is just what someone needs. Sometimes a listening ear is the best kind of friendship. Sometimes the invitation to worship leads to a life fully devoted to Christ. You don’t have to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results.
I pray that each of you would go about your week doing nothing extraordinary, and be attentive to how the power of the Holy Spirit brings about extraordinary results.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark