“The other day,” Stan commented one morning, “I had lunch over at that new cafe on Bond Street.”
“I don’t know anything about any new cafe,” I replied. “What’s it called?”
“The Extraordinary Cafe,” Stan replied. “It’s owned and operated by a friend of mine. Her name is Emily.”
“That’s kind of an unusual name for a cafe,” I commented.
“Only if you don’t know Emily and the motto she has for her place.”
“Her motto? What motto?”
“We don’t do ordinary!” Stan replied with a smile. “And Emily has a personal testimony to back that up.”
“What kind of personal testimony?” I asked.
“About how she used to think that she was so ordinary that there was no way for God to use her for His kingdom.”
“I can sure relate to that,” I said. “I would like to be used by and for God, but I’m just so ordinary I don’t think that’s possible.”
“You ever heard of the expression, ‘Put your best foot forward’?” Stan asked.
“Of course,” I replied, “but what if my ‘best foot’ isn’t all that great?”
“From whose perspective? Yours or God’s?”
“Is there a difference?
“Sure is,” Stan said. “Every person God uses for His kingdom purposes is ordinary at the beginning. It was true with all of the famous characters in the Bible that God used for His purposes, it’s been true down through the ages, and it’s true today. Do you know why?”
“I don’t,” I responded. “Why?”
“Ordinary people are all that God has to work with. His presence is what makes the difference. His presence is what changes people from being ordinary into being extraordinary. I think that’s what will happen with your best foot, even though you may not think it’s so great.”
“How so?”
“Give it to God and He will do with it exactly what He wants. He will turn your foot into the absolutely ‘best foot’ and He will turn what you consider ordinary into extraordinary.”
“If I say to God,” I responded, ‘’This is the best foot I’ve got; I don’t think it’s so great, but it’s all I have. Take it and do with it what you want.’ If I do that, do you think He will do something with it?”
“I do,” Stan replied. “Not only with your foot, but with your leg, your body, your entire life. If you give it all to Him, you should be prepared for the Holy Spirit to turn what you consider just an ordinary person into what God uses as an extraordinary one!”
“That’s Emily’s testimony,” he continued. “God doesn’t do ordinary; and she believes that He doesn’t want her to do ordinary in any part of her life, especially at her cafe!”
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Bible verses to consider:
Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. Acts of the Apostles 4:13.
The Jews therefore were marveling, saying, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated.” John 7:15.
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17.
And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the word of God with boldness. Acts of the Apostles 4:31.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, that you use people for your purposes, and that you will use me just as you want when I get myself out of the way and allow you to do so. I confess that too often I don’t give all or any part of me to you for your purposes. Please forgive the foolishness of that self-focus, and please help me to follow every step of your lead in surrendering all of me to you for whatever purposes you have in mind. Thank you for the privilege of being used by and for you, and thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Have you surrendered yourself to God in the sense of accepting His free and gracious provision of life eternally with Him? If no, why? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with surrendering yourself to God for whatever He wants while He keeps you on this side of eternity? Do you believe God can change an ordinary person into an extraordinary one? Why or why not? If you sense the need for change in how you give yourself to God for His purposes, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 