It was frosty and cold this morning when I walked Penelope. The grass under the trees was white with frost. The day had waked beautifully, cold and clear, deep blue sky canvas, warm golden sunshine. I wore my feeted pajamas over my clothes and a down vest. My old yard shoes have a hole in one shoe and I could feel the earth’s cold on that foot. Penelope was frisking around, she loves cold mornings but hates the doggie sweaters. Kat walked with us and when we turned around, she shot off back to the porch. She has to beat Penelope to the porch steps each walk. If Penelope beats her back to the steps, Kat slaps her a few time with her paws, no claws just a few little pops.

Penelope walked around depressed this morning because she had a sweater on in the house. When I first started putting sweaters on her she’d act paralyzed. She’d just stand there, wouldn’t walk. In Alexander City we had a fenced in back yard. She snag the sweater on a branch and pull it off every time we let her out. Chief and I would have to go on a sweater hunt on cold days. Oldest brother came by for a visit this morning. Penelope was paralyzed by her sweater and was pouting sadly on the lady den sofa. He looked at her and said, “Oh, are depressed this morning by your sweater?” She didn’t even look up. She’s a case. He’s been coming to visit me several days a week for three years and she still barks when his truck drives up. He calls her Periwinkle, maybe that’s why she barks.

Late afternoon I was walking Penelope and saw the moon was an early riser, pinned himself on that dark blue sky sketch of Father Sky’s, nary a star or cloud in the sky with him. He was so handsome, so luminous in his waxing crescent self, looking over God’s creation, thinking of those travelers he’ll guide tonight when it’s dark. I love seeing the moon in the late afternoons. I imagine Father Sky scurrying around trying to find the moon to wake him, only to find him already at work getting ready for the pageantry of night.

I love these words from William Martin — “Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives. Such striving may seem admirable, but it is the way of foolishness. Help them instead to find the wonder and the marvel of an ordinary life. Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples and pears. Show them how to cry when pets and people die. Show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand. And make the ordinary come alive for them. The extraordinary will take care of itself.” — William Martin

Those words of Martin’s can apply to us grown ups, too. I love the sentence “show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand.” I hold hands with my grandchildren all the time and I miss the warmth of Chief’s large callused hands. I think living an every day ordinary life is a testament to God and our faith. Embracing the life God has given us is a love offering to God. Bible scripture in Timothy 6:6-10 reads, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”

A simple life is filled with wonder and pleasure. God is extraordinary and uses ordinary people to fulfill his plans, working through us to accomplish a better future. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen by trade but God chose them to preach the word of God, to become fishers of men for Jesus. Roman’s 12:1 tells us to present ourselves to God. “Make yourself available so that God can use you. So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life — your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life — and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.”

We should offer our everyday life to the Lord and be thankful for all his blessings, living in a way that’s a sacrifice to the Lord. God tells us throughout the Bible we are born to serve him, to be kind and tender hearted and forgiving of others. We need to serve others as God serves us. Serving others are moments to share the love of Christ. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

“To be ordinary, be normal; to be original, be different; to be valuable, be unique; to be priceless, be yourself.” — Matshona Dhliwayo