May 18- NDS- Ordinary Places

Next Door Savior by Max Lucado
"Ordinary Places"
Mark 6:3
 ³ Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph,^[a] Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.


For starters, please pray for me that I will become more intentional and consistent in my quiet time (which can be evidenced by my blog entries).  As of late, I have allowed the hectic spring schedule to preempt my morning times.  I know that blogging does not mean prayer and meditation, but for me the three seem to go hand-in-hand-in-hand.  The blog entries are one of the signs that I am spending time in the Word.

Now on to "Ordinary Places".  This particular delay in sticking with my reading of Next Door Savior was fortuitous.  On Sunday I returned to Bolivar, home of my childhood and high school years, for my nephew's high school graduation.  Back in the day, many hours were spent cruising the streets of Bolivar, playing basketball in various driveways and sitting in the pews at First Baptist Church.

As I made a sentimental lap around the main drag, I was struck with  a sense of sadness.  The feeling resulted from the realization that my whole life to date has been spent within 30 miles of my boyhood home.  No grand adventures.  No hostel trips through Europe.  My foot has never set foot on another continent.  The feeling was so great that I called Kristi and spread my cloud of despair over her Sunday as well.

Later that night I drug out NDS to get back on track.  The chapter "Ordinary Places" was due to be read, and boy was it a swift kick in the britches.  Max spends the first part of the chapter discussing the "ordinariness" of life.  He then goes on to parallel our ordinary days to how Christ's first 30 years were just as ordinary.  It was during these "ordinary" times that God was further preparing His Son for the final three years of his ministry.  Many of the illustrations Christ used in His teaching may have been drawn from his years as a "ordinary" carpenter.  Max also reminds the reader that in the geographic sense, Christ had a small ministry.

I don't have to travel to Guatemela to be a missionary.  Running a halfway house in the projects is not the only way I can help those who are down on their luck.  For most of His life, God's plan for His Son was to be the best carpenter he could be, continue to grow his relationship with the Father and be willing to take the next step in God's plan for his life.  That message was just what I needed on Sunday night last.

Praise to our Lord and Savior for His perfect timing in even the most "trivial" of events such as when I read a particular chapter in a $10.00 book.

On a different topic, can you add to this list?
Prayers a Christian never need pray:

1.  God, please forgive me for (insert sin).  At the moment of genuine salvation, we are forgiven ALL sin, past, present and future.
2.  God, please be with me in or during (insert event).  The Holy Spirit is ALWAYS with, no make that IN, us at all times and in all circumstances.