The extraordinary ordinary

This morning at 3am I was awake. It's a typical side effect from the chemo, though I really can't complain considering. When this spontaneous awakening occurs, I pray and give thanks, and usually can slip back into slumber within an hour. This morning though, from 3-4, I had a phrase running through my head. 

"Finding the beauty in the ordinary makes things extraordinary"

Did I hear this somewhere? Read it? Not sure, but it continues to run across the prompt screen of my mind, and I love it.

Today was a beautifully ordinary day. We stayed in the confines of our cozy home. Just the 6 of us. We stayed in jammies past noon, ate 3 meals together, put together new toys, watched a Christmas movie, and sang " happy birthday" to Jesus before eating His cake. There were also meltdowns, bickering and bonkers...but it's looking for and finding the beauty in those ordinary moments that made our day so extraordinary. Extraordinary certainly does not mean perfection. And boy, am I glad about that!

It made me think about all those "ordinaries" surrounding the extraordinary Christmas story...

The ordinary girl God used to carry His Son. Extraordinary.

The ordinary stable Jesus was born in. Extraordinary.

The ordinary people Jesus loves and the ordinary people He uses to bring glory to His beautiful name.

Extraordinary God.

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only Son into the world, that we might live through Him. I John 4:9

Merry Christmas! May you experience all His extraordinaries in your everyday ordinary.