The Wonder of Ordinary

If someone were to ask you about the most extraordinary day of your life, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s the day you graduated, the moment you said, “I do,” or the first time you held your child in your arms. Those are life-defining and extraordinary moments that stick with us forever.

But let’s be honest. Most of life isn’t made up of these mountaintop experiences. Most of life happens in the trenches of the ordinary—paying bills, folding laundry, sitting in traffic, or trying to figure out what’s for dinner. It’s easy to feel like the day-to-day grind doesn’t matter much. But here’s the incredible truth: God shows up in the ordinary.

In the Christmas story, we see a divine plan unfolding during some very mundane moments. And that’s not by accident. God’s purpose and presence are woven into the fabric of what we often dismiss as insignificant.

Let’s dive into Luke 2 and see how God turns the trivial, menial, and simple into something extraordinary.

Think about how the Christmas story begins. Luke tells us that Caesar Augustus issued a decree for everyone to be registered and taxed. Sounds riveting, doesn’t it? Taxes are about as mundane as it gets. Yet, God used that seemingly trivial decree to set everything in motion.

Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem wasn’t just a coincidence or bad timing. It was the fulfillment of a 700-year-old prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. 

Micah 5:2 – “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel…” 

God was orchestrating his divine plan through the mundane.

Have you ever considered that what feels like a minor inconvenience—a traffic jam, a random meeting, or a spur-of-the-moment choice—could be God working behind the scenes?

When Mary and Joseph finally arrived in Bethlehem, there wasn’t a five-star hotel waiting for them. In fact, there wasn’t any room at all. Jesus, the King of Kings, was born in a stable and laid in a manger—a feeding trough for animals.

Max Lucado once described this scene beautifully: “Majesty in the midst of the mundane, holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat.”

Jesus’ humble beginnings weren’t an accident; they were a message. The Savior didn’t come in royal robes but in swaddling clothes, wrapped in humility, so that everyone—rich or poor, powerful or powerless—could approach him.

Even the stable had a purpose. Historians tell us it was likely the kind of place used to raise lambs for temple sacrifices. Those lambs had to be perfect and without blemish, just like Jesus, who would become the ultimate sacrificial Lamb for our sins.

God takes what seems ordinary and uses it to reveal his extraordinary love.

Now let’s talk about the shepherds. These guys weren’t CEOs or influencers; they were ordinary people doing a thankless, repetitive job. Yet, they were the first to hear the greatest news in history: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

Imagine their surprise when an angel appeared in the middle of the night. God could have announced Jesus’ birth to kings or religious leaders, but he chose shepherds. Why? Because God delights in using the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary. The shepherds remind us that God sees us—even in the unnoticed, unglamorous parts of life.

As we reflect on the Christmas story, let’s challenge ourselves to look at our own lives differently. The next time you’re stuck in traffic, folding laundry, or handling yet another mundane task, remember: God is at work, even in the small things.

Because of Jesus, no day is ever truly ordinary.