THE UNCOMMON LIFE

I never wanted to be a common girl. Or have a common life. There has always been something in me that has yearned for the uncommon. The unchartered. The undiscovered.

However, to live a life that is uncommon, one must reject the lure of the common. And what is common in your world?

Settling.

Gossip.

Comparison.

Insecurity.

Negativity.

Materialism.

Appearance.

Small minded thinking.

Comfort.

The uncommon life requires a shedding of all that is familiar and all that feels safe. And an embracing of... New.

The uncommon life makes for great books, great stories, great "a-hah!' moments. And yet the process can be daunting and even lonely. Rare is the companion who can champion the uncommon life, without feeling threatened or even left behind.

Someone once said "There is no growth in the comfort zone and no comfort in the growth zone". But at the end of the comfort zone, there something called the stagnant zone. And in there, there is no life at all.

When it comes to talking about the uncommon life, what makes the heart beat is the thrill of adventure. The o so wonderful adventure of stepping out into the unknown and walking in it with confidence and dignity and strength.

What I observe is that there is a secret key to victory in the uncommon life and that is having this whisper in your heart:

"He goes before me..."//He knows the end from the beginning. And even in the times when you feel as though you have lost your way, or lost your hope, or your nerve - Jesus himself shows up and walks with you. So, although the path can feel lonely you are never alone. 

And along that uncommon path, you do find common ground with common adventurers. People who love and champion, instead of betraying and judging. People who think not only beyond themselves, but beyond an entire generation. Creatives. Builders. Thinkers. Dreamers. World changers and history makers. People who outgrow their limitations, because they place them in hands of a limitless God.

Friend, uncommon does not mean that you have to move half way across the world, to a foreign land. The uncommon life starts in the heart and mind. It is here that even a life that appears to be common, will be lived out to a place of uncommon fullness, all because of the posture of the heart and the focus of the mind. I think the Message version of Romans 12:1-2, sums it up beautifully-

"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. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, "

In the words of John Legend "we're just ordinary people", but we are loved by an extraordinary God. And a life placed in His hands, will never be common.

Thanks for stopping by, K xx

Every Friday, I join an inspiring group of writers to write for FIVE MINUTES on a one-word prompt. No editing. No revising. Just WRITE. This week, the word was COMMON. // indicates the start and stop of the timer.