An Ordinary Man, part one

"The most extraordinary thing in the world is an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children." G.K. Chesterton

I have seen a lot of extraordinary people in the last few days.

Extraordinary men and women were the ones who walked through piles of rubble for their friends. The extraordinary are the ones who picked up china plates that survived a tornado where a father did not. The extraordinary men are the ones who looked through piles of rubble for a wedding ring because a godly man had once loved this family. Extraordinary men are the ones who are crying and working because they love their families and would want someone to care for them if the roles were reversed.

The extraordinary men are the ones who took chainsaws and flashlights and cut through miles of trees, so an ambulance could get through to these precious families. The extraordinary men are the ordinary men who serve an extraordinary God.

My hero is one of those men. I remember the hurrying, the realizing things had gone terribly wrong for our friends. But it was not until I put him in the car in the storms with a chainsaw that I knew for a brief moment that this could be our last time together as well. We had no idea what he was facing. We laughed (as we always do) because we were just throwing everything in his car. To break the tension, we quoted our favorite Toy Story line, "don't forget your angry eyes" But that was the last of laughter for a while even for our family.

My hero is ordinary because he loves his family and knows that Tom loved his family. For that my extraordinary hero sat in ambulances, drove to different hospitals looking for children for a mother who needed to know where her little ducks were. My hero sits at my table and cries because two of our dearest friends are in wheelchairs.

All of those people you see on t.v. have a story. The ones whose homes are gone and the ones who are helping them. Take the time to see what Jesus sees. A world that needs His love when all else is crumbling.

Then go be an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and together you will be extraordinary.