by Anna Haiar
Leaning into Normal
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23 (English Standard Version)
How often do we find ourselves wishing our days away?
We count down to Friday. We look forward to the next vacation, the next holiday, the next big event on the calendar. We tell ourselves that when life slows down, when the kids are a little older, when work isn’t quite so demanding, then we’ll have time to enjoy the life we’re living. Somewhere along the way, we begin to treat ordinary days as something to get through rather than something to treasure.
We spend so much of our lives waiting for something extraordinary to happen that we forget what an extraordinary gift an ordinary day really is.
In Lamentations 3:22–23, we read, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” What makes these words especially beautiful is that they were written in the midst of suffering, not celebration. God’s faithfulness wasn’t dependent on the circumstances of the day. His mercy remained, even when life was anything but beautiful. The same is true for us. Not every day will be filled with laughter or happy memories. Some days will be exhausting. Some will bring disappointment, frustration, or sorrow. And some will simply be so ordinary that we hardly remember them.
None of them are insignificant to God.
In His great love, God sent His Son into our very ordinary world. Jesus knew the rhythms of everyday life. He worked, ate, rested, and walked among ordinary people. And then He did something extraordinary: He willingly went to the cross, bearing our sins, and rose again to give us the promise of everlasting life. Because of Jesus, we don’t have to wait for something extraordinary to happen to know that our lives have meaning. We are already loved, forgiven, and redeemed.
So perhaps today is just another ordinary Saturday. There are chores to finish, emails to answer, and dishes waiting in the sink. But there is also mercy and grace. There is a Savior who loves us and promises never to leave us. That makes today a gift worth receiving.
Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
