Ordinary Life with an Extraordinary God

Growing Daily

Ordinary Life with an Extraordinary God

My brother Ron maintains the Growing Christians website our dad started.  Most days, his work looks ordinary: writing, correspondence, updating content.  Nothing dramatic.

But over the years, Ron has noticed something.  While navigating around the site, he’ll click on a random page—out of thousands—and discover a glitch that needs fixing.  When he checks similar pages, the problem isn’t there.  It’s only the page he “just happened” to open.  

During an intense website overhaul, these “coincidences” came so frequently he felt like a coworker was sitting beside him, pointing out areas that needed attention.  He found himself whispering aloud, “Thank you, Lord,” as the miraculous broke into his everyday.

We see a similar moment in Luke 5.  Peter, a fisherman by trade, had worked all night without success.  But when Jesus directed him to lower his nets once more, the catch was overwhelming.  A bystander might call it luck or persistence finally paying off, but Peter knew better.  He fell to his knees before Jesus (Luke 5:8).

Events like this echo throughout Scripture.  Ruth “happens” to glean in Boaz’s field.  Joseph and Daniel appear exceptionally capable to foreign governments.  Esther finds favor with the king.  To outsiders, it might look like timing, skill, or good fortune.  But to those living in the story, it is clear: the Lord was with them.

In these quiet, miraculous moments, God reminds us He is always nearer than we assume, extending goodness and mercy in ways we may not be able to explain to others, but which are real all the same (Psalm 23:6).

- Catherine Reid