Let everything you do be done in love (true love to God and man as inspired by God’s love for us).
1 Corinthians 16:14, AMPC
I recently visited a newly opened coffee shop with my friend, Sara, and while glancing toward the street, I noticed a beautiful lady walking rapidly toward the entrance. My eyes lit as I recognized a sweet friend, and I stood to greet her. Before I scarcely spoke her name, she walked into my arms, saying she’d seen me through the window and needed a hug. Surprised, I listened, my arms surrounding her, as she explained what she was going through at that moment.
My friend and I prayed for her and the situation she was facing, and I reached out to someone who could offer further help. After she left, I sat in awe of what had just happened. Sara said, “We were abiding at the right place at the right time. While we were here longer than we’d planned, there was a purpose for it. There is power in tarrying in the places to which God has called you.”
Finding the Margin in the Ordinary
Sara’s words have been echoing in my heart since she spoke them. That morning, I had every intention of focusing on writing in the coffee shop for an hour—two, tops. My days are usually packed: managing a home, taking care of my family, juggling work, and trying to nurture friendships in between. Like many women I know, I lean on my calendar and to-do list to stay afloat.
What if Ordinary Moments Become Extraordinary?
But in the middle of the hustle, I forget—God doesn’t need an open time slot to show up. God meets us in the ordinary moments. He just needs an open spirit to yield to what He brings our way. That day, He met me in a completely ordinary, unplanned moment and reminded me through the words of my friend: the sacred can slip into our lives when we least expect it making ordinary moments extraordinary. We just have to pause long enough to see it.
The real question is—am I looking for the open doors God places in front of me?
Nailing the Opportunities
I think back to a quiet afternoon at the nail salon, where I met Jane. We were seated in neighboring pedicure chairs—just two women who, at first glance, couldn’t have looked more different. I was unwinding, my feet soaking after a long week. Jane sat beside me, getting her glittery polish removed. “Sparkle’s my favorite color,” I said with a smile, pointing to her shimmering nails. That tiny comment opened the door to something so much deeper.
We were strangers. We were different ages with different backgrounds and different stories. But that day, God used our proximity for purpose. He didn’t need us to have everything in common—He just needed us to be present and willing to listen to His gentle nudges.
Simply Extraordinary Moments
Jane was removing her polish to prepare for surgery—cancer had returned after years of remission. As she spoke, I listened—really listened. She didn’t know how well I understood what she was facing. When she finished, I shared a piece of my story—about my son Caleb, diagnosed with a rare bone cancer at age eleven. I told her about the heartbreak, the prayers, and the miracle of his healing.
Her eyes softened. She told me her church was already praying, that she had called her pastor the moment after she broke the news to her husband. I told her I’d pray too—and then I did something that felt risky but right. I asked if I could pray with her. She looked a little surprised, but nodded.
So right there, in a corner of a busy salon, I reached across the space between our chairs, took her hand in mine, and prayed with the faith of a mama who’s walked through the fire. I spoke healing over her body—the same words I had declared over my son all those years ago.
God Meets Us in the Ordinary
And here’s what I believe with every fiber of my being: the moment Jane called out to God, He was already moving. But maybe that afternoon, He just wanted to remind her—and me—that He hears. He sees. God meets us in the ordinary, unexpected places, even with wet toes and glittery polish.
This is the [remarkable degree of] confidence we [as believers are entitled to] have before Him: that if we ask anything according to His will, [that is, consistent with His plan and purpose] He hears us. And if we know [for a fact, as indeed we do] that He hears and listens to us in whatever we ask, we [also] know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted to us] the requests which we have asked from Him.
1 John 14-15, AMP
Ordinary Invitations
These experiences continue to stir something in me-a gentle challenge to pay attention-to be intentional, present. God’s invitations often come wrapped in the ordinary: a smile across the aisle, a kind word at checkout, a nudge to send a card or check on someone you haven’t seen in a while. Opportunities to love like Jesus don’t have to be big or expensive. More often than not, they’re quiet, simple, and easily missed if we’re rushing through our over-scheduled day.
Simple Responses Yield Great Harvests
A pastor at church talked about how simple kindness draws people to Jesus. It might be your words, prayers, or an act of kindness that opens a door to plant a seed about how much Jesus loves them, or even opens a door to you leading them in accepting Jesus as Savior. He said it is your obedience to do what God tells you to do that makes you successful.
We don’t always get to see the harvest. But when we offer a word of hope, pray with someone in need, or serve in a way that seems small, we are planting seeds that heaven sees. We are only responsible for the part God calls us to do, and He will be with us when we are walking in uncharted territory.
“I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
1 Corinthians 3:6, MEV
Saying the Simple Yes
Every time we pause to ask, “Lord, what would You have me do right here, right now?”—we step into something holy. We join in what God is already doing. God meets us in the ordinary, everyday moments, but we must be ready to meet Him, too. Sometimes that means adjusting our schedules, lingering longer than planned, or speaking truth into someone’s weary heart. It may even feel inconvenient in the moment, but obedience rarely comes with perfect timing—it comes with purpose.
The beauty is, God isn’t asking us to figure it all out. He’s simply asking us to listen and respond. And when we do, even the smallest act of love becomes part of something eternal.
Because in the end, obedience may sound complicated—but love is simple. And God uses simple love to change lives.
Do you desire to be more intentional in your walk with God? Being obedient starts with noticing how God is moving in the ordinary moments of your day.
Download this 5 Day Devotional, “Meeting God in the Ordinary.” It is a FREE GIFT that I hope will bless your life as you plan to be more intentional in those unplanned moments.
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