Five Minute Friday: Ordinary

I can’t believe it’s already March – and already Friday again. I’m linking up for my Five Minute Friday at Lisa-Jo Baker’s place.

The rules? Write for 5 minute. Link up at Lisa-Jo's and invite others to join in. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community...

This week: Ordinary

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Photo by Kevin P

They pulled into the driveway in the old blue truck on a windy, chilly Saturday. Started unloading the washer and dryer; started chatting and catching up. I could hear her come inside and start talking to my daughter who was in the midst of cleaning her room. Or not cleaning it – depending on how you look at things. I had my hands full of a project and came out of the bedroom to say hello. Leaned against the door frame and talked about the week; about my interview; about our colds. My daughter pulled anxiously at Grandma’s arm. “You promised you’d come watch me bike,” she called – trying to steer her towards the back door. We laughed and realized that watching an eight-year-old biking was going to take priority. So we stood in the back of the house – my mother-in-law on the patio, me in the doorway, and watched my daughter pedal in circles around and around. In a few minutes, my husband called through the door to the garage that everything was set up, “come on and see what we’ve done.” Of course I had to bring my camera and take a picture or two to post online. As I stepped back and turned the camera off and listened to the conversation flowing around me, it suddenly hit me.

This is so ordinary.

Just an afternoon of getting some help with appliances. Catching up on the week, talking about upcoming birthdays, sharing about books we were reading. Ordinary.

And yet, anything but ordinary. How about miraculous?

My husband and I have struggled with our relationship with his parents for the entire length of our relationship – almost twenty years. I hadn’t seen or talked to my father-in-law in over two years that day. The roots of the trouble run deep, but no one wants it and I’m not even sure we could tell you how it started. Everyone has been trying to figure out how to resolve it, mend it, forgive it, move past it.

And in this one simple ordinary afternoon – through a glimpse of grace – we got a peek of what might be. What was probably ahead – just around the corner. The amazing, wonderful, extraordinary world of the ordinary.

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