Ordinary Life, Extraordinary God!: Lessons from Everyday Experiences

By Helen McCormack

“In a world that rushes at breakneck speed, these devotions slow us down to consider. Reflecting on nostalgic moments from the past and connecting points between everyday sights, sounds, and impressions with the timeless truths of God’s Word, Helen McCormack reminds us of what we may already know but need to pause and ponder.”

—Cynthia Ruchti, bestselling author of more than 30 books

“Where the rubber meets the road” is an oft-repeated saying. Similarly, in Helen McCormack’s devotional, Ordinary Life, Extraordinary God, she puts shoes on God’s Word, the Bible, by showing how the clear truth and rich wisdom of the Bible walks through her own life, whether that life be in Lithuania, Germany, or here in the U.S. A wonderful read that will challenge, yet bless the reader.

—Patricia E. Linson teacher (retired), author of the Allister of Turtle Mountain series

Just as nutrition and exercise are essential for physical growth, nutrition and exercise are essential for spiritual growth. The 52 devotionals in this book are designed to offer the reader an opportunity for spiritual nutrition through applying Biblical truth to everyday life. Sometimes we face simple daily life challenges but sometimes it is necessary to grapple with deeper issues. We’ll consider issues such as guilt, near death experience, integrity, obituaries, pickles, a distant God, temptations, future expectations, particle board, escalators, and mistletoe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9781973683599

Helen McCormack

Helen McCormack was raised on a Minnesota dairy farm. She began her personal journey with the Lord in fifth grade during extended illnesses. Later, she became a wife, mother, overseas missionary, speech therapist, teacher, church administrator and educational therapist. Besides North Dakota, she has lived in Colorado, Lithuania and Germany. She began sharing lessons God taught her by writing devotionals for the Minot (North Dakota) Daily News 25 years ago. Many of those devotionals were in her first book, Ordinary Life, Extraordinary God. There are 53 more devotionals in Journeys in Faith, Pursuing Obedience. Her prayer is that God will use her experiences, but mostly, God’s Word, to encourage you as you walk your personal journey.

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Copyright © 2020 Helen McCormack.

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-8360-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-8359-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020900608

WestBow Press rev. date: 02/05/2020

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Scripture quotations marked (RSV) are from Revised Standard

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DEDICATION

These devotionals are dedicated to you, my readers who encouraged me to combine them into a book. May you be challenged to love God more.

Helen McCormack

CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgement

THE EARLY YEARS

Love and Old Ted

Of What is Your Memory Yarn Made?

Going to See Grandma

Are You Driven by Obsessions for Possessions?

What Kinds of Secrets Are We to Keep?

A Treasured Heritage or a Dust Collector?

Changed into Something New

Give Each Christmas an Eternal Perspective

Is it Good to be a Lone Ranger?

What Does the Future Hold?

Lessons in Prayer

BECOMING

Confessions of Powers, Principalities and Particle Board

The Great Dill Pickle Debacle

Preparing for Christmas

Physical Pain and Spiritual Guilt

Discounting Rules Could Cost Us Our Lives.

Treasures- Earthly or Heavenly?

No Pain No Gain

Trusting the Hand That Leads Us

Learning from the Past and Planning for the Future

Pay Attention; Listen for Understanding

Who Is in Charge?

LITHUANIA

What Would Happen if We Seriously Sought God?

The One Who Trusts God is Invincible Part I

The One Who Trusts God is Invincible Part II

The Price of Freedom

Finding My Way in the Fog

Plenty and Want

Stuffing a Pillow Through a Funnel

GERMANY

Treasuring God’s Word

Outward Appearance or Internal Condition

Pride and Humility

Have you Checked for Parasites Recently?

Understanding the Bible

Using our Spiritual Tools Correctly

Taking Freedom for Granted

Don’t Give the Enemy an Advantage

Surprises in Life

We Might Fall When We Least Expect It

When the Leaning Post Moves

God Performs Miracles Today

How Valuable Is Our Integrity?

God Still Performs Miracles

HOME AGAIN

The More We Own, the More We Are Owned

Tripping Hazards

Being Anchored to a Firm Foundation

Truth and God; Is There Really Only One Way?

Be Ready for the Lure of Temptation

Patience

Forgiven Is a Wonderful Place to Be

What We’ve Inherited

Be still and Know that I am God

What Would you Put in Your Obituary?

PREFACE

In many ways, my life has been ordinary. I grew up on a small dairy farm in Minnesota, went to grade school and high school and then college. I got a job, became engaged and then married. We had two children. My husband and I taught in various North Dakota towns for many years and later became missionaries serving in Lithuania and Germany.

Brilliantly interspersed in my ordinary life were touches from my extraordinary God: lessons He wanted to teach and insights He wanted me to understand about who He is. Some of my experiences are so ordinary that they could have been missed, some are humorous which shows God’s sense of humor, some are sad because that’s life sometimes and some are absolutely miraculous because He is the God of miracles.

My life has been pretty ordinary, but my God is extraordinary. I pray that you will be encouraged to seek Him more as you consider the lessons in these devotionals.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The devotionals in this book were developed because God prompted me to seek a venue for writing them. Thank you, Loretta Johnson (Religion Editor of the Minot Daily News in Minot, ND for many years) for believing in me enough to let me embark on the adventure of submitting them. Thank you, readers of the Reflections devotionals for encouraging me to compile them into a book. This book contains about one third of the devotionals that I’ve written over the last 20 plus years. Thank you to Bonnie Ler for reading and offering editing suggestions. Thank you Janese Lehman for editing and marketing assistance. Finally, but most importantly, thank you to my dear husband David of nearly 50 years for your wise suggestions, careful editing and loving encouragement so that this book might become a reality.

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THE EARLY YEARS

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LOVE AND OLD TED

After my grandparents purchased a Minnesota farm in 1914, they went in search of a dog. Hearing that a neighbor had one, my grandmother Erika loaded chickens into her wagon and headed down the road to work out a trade. Erika and her husband Abram soon discovered that Old Ted was a valuable, loving asset to the farm. Old Ted taught us a lot about Jesus.

For example, he frequently chased skunks off the farm and came home smelling like it. In later life, his eyesight suffered because of the frequency with which his eyes were sprayed. His sacrifice protected the family. In comparison, our God paid the ultimate sacrifice. He gave up his only Son so that Jesus would die to pay a debt we couldn’t pay. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV).

In another situation Abram went to investigate something he saw in the tall prairie grasses. The family continued working in the yard until Old Ted took off onto the prairie. No one had heard anything except Old Ted who found a bull threatening Abram. Old Ted chased that bull about a quarter mile through two fences before he was satisfied that Abram and everyone else on the farm was safe. God is an even stronger and more faithful protector. …the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3 NIV).

A particularly intriguing story was told by those who came to the farm when no one was home. If someone came onto the yard, Old Ted did nothing. If someone knocked on the door, Old Ted did nothing. However, if the visitor put his hand on the doorknob, Old Ted in turn put his mouth around the ankle of the visitor. I can’t tell you what happened if the visitor turned the door knob since no one ever admitted trying it! Just as Old Ted guarded the house from intruders and possible danger, we need to ask God to help us guard what enters our hearts. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 4:23 NIV).

Finally, even though he was strong and brave, just in time for milking Old Ted could gently bring the cows home. Jesus will gently guide us when we ask. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29 NIV).

Old Ted was purchased with chickens. However, God’s forgiveness is a free gift. If we do try to buy forgiveness with money or good words or deeds we are saying that what Jesus did when He died for us was not enough. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

Old Ted was an excellent example of a dog that had amazing talents to save, protect and guard. God is the perfect One who