More and Less Extraordinary

One of my favorite songs is "Life Less Ordinary," by Carbon Leaf - "Live a life less ordinary, live a life extraordinary with me."  I don't know what Carbon Leaf meant when they wrote those words, but to me it's the invitation Jesus gives me everyday.  

Less ordinary, more extraordinary.

Like most things, I took that invitation as a challenge for the longest time.  I was determined to live extraordinary.  I was determined to have not a great story to tell, but the greatest and most extraordinary the world had ever heard or seen.  But, I realized something recently.  The most extraordinary story has already been lived.  It's Jesus' story.  And his invitation for me is to simply be part of it, which is pretty extraordinary if you think about it.

And so, I'm changing my mindset: to live a life more extraordinary and less ordinary I need to make my pursuit less extraordinary (confused yet?).  In other words, I need to live simply.  I want to wake up each morning in total awareness of God's grace that covers my life.  I want to know that what defines me in this world will never be what I do but whose I am.  I want my pursuit to not be the extraordinary life, but instead the Extraordinary God who is Jesus Christ. 

All day I've heard people talking about what they're giving up for Lent and I've read countless blog posts about what the season is all about, books to read, etc.  My Lenten discipline this year is simplicity.

Check back in the coming weeks to see how it's coming along.

What's your Lenten discipline?  How are you accepting Jesus' invitation to a life less ordinary and more extraordinary?