Day 002: The Resurrection & Why I’m Choose to (try to) Live Not Ordinary
Today is Easter Wednesday. We are three days post Jesus’ Resurrection. While I’ve had this site for a while and have travelled around the country talking to people about what is wonderful about America, about faith, and about life, I have not had a clear vision on the message I want to give or what I am trying to do with Live Not Ordinary. I’m still not sure I know 100%, but I do know a couple of things.
The most important thing is that Jesus really did rise from the dead.
Knowing that is true changes everything. When we accept that as historical fact, we realize the reality of there being more to life than we see if nothing else. We have to then look at what CS Lewis said about Jesus: He is either Lord, liar, or lunatic. There can be no middle ground in this.
Jesus rose from the dead.
In our world of AI, virtual reality, and perverse fetishes, it’s hard to imagine the reality that occurred over 2,000 years ago. In God’s perfect timing, He allowed the second Person of the Trinity to come to Earth in the form of a Baby in a manger in a little town called Bethlehem.
Had Jesus been born today, we, with our hard hearts and cynicism, probably would not have accepted His rising as reality. We would have scornfully assumed it was another trick of technology. There was no denying the thousands of people who saw Jesus after He’d been beaten, scourged, crowned, hung, lanced, and placed in His tomb.
The question is, can we, with our modern day, know-it-all attitudes, beat the head game that tells us Jesus did not rise or that He rose but disappeared and has detached from us? Can we beat the belief that we are alone in this world or that the Lord does not call us to better but Loves us no matter what we do and there will be no consequences?
I want to beat that belief.
I don’t want to be like everyone else and settle for mediocre spirituality over the difficult path of religion. I want to see where religion and spirituality meet. I want to see the best of both worlds and what happens when we Marry our will to God’s promise.
Veiling into the New Season
I chose to veil for Lent. It was about the only part of my Lenten vow I kept to with any real devotion. I accepted the change in me because of the discomfort it caused in me that I was willing to go through for a greater good. Lent is over, and the Easter season has begun. Would I choose to end my growth now or would I continue to veil and step from my comfort zone?
I thought back to the other changes I’d sworn to make: eating a fruit or vegetable, walking ten minutes, doing my physical therapy every day. They were all good changes. They were all the right thing to do. Why then, would I choose to do them only during a penitential season? If something is the right thing to do, shouldn’t we do it all the time? Why is the ordinary thing, to not do what is right and good all the time? Why is it something we only focus on for a short while?
Is this something I could do? Could I choose to Live Not Ordinary and do what is right and good in all circumstances, day in and day out?
Could I veil the old me and emerge new, humble, modest, obedient, and respectfully loving? Why wouldn’t I try to be so? Why wouldn’t everyone?
I could not answer that question, not even for myself, but I woke yesterday morning knowing I wanted to try. I wanted to Live Not Ordinary. I wanted to Live for Christ.
Because the one thing I know for sure in this world, is that Jesus died for me, He went to Hell to retrieve sinners, and then He rose and walked this Earth again, promising not to leave us alone, promising to gift us His Paraclete.
Maybe that’s more than one thing, and yet any one part of that is so deep I cannot hope to fathom it. All I can do is to hope to draw closer to it through the best version of love I can offer shown through the best version of trust I can offer. The best way I can offer both is through the continuous living of Lent, not in a penitential way, but in the rejoicing of promises believed in. The best way I can offer this is to lay everything else aside and move forward in choosing to do only right and good acts.
That is truly Living Not Ordinary.
I’m tired. It’s late, and my son just got out of the shower, which means the right thing to do is either go say bedtime prayers with him and then say good night or read one chapter in the Michael Vey series we are rereading. Either way, the right thing to do here is to end this babble and go.
Good night and God Bless…
Gratitude List Wednesday, April 12, 2023:
- Calculator. Calculators! CALCULATOR!!!
- And the school admins who helped me get these for our classes! 🙂