Goodbye Ordinary

By Makenzie Allen –

“You are right that I am also extraordinary, but let me tell you something: No matter how ordinary a person may be, put God in that person, and the ordinary becomes extraordinary” (The Indwelling Life of Christ by Major W. Ian Thomas).

You mean there is a way to fill the increasing gap that’s been forming in my mind about how I’m not good enough? That God could be the missing puzzle piece to my confusing jigsaw life? You really mean to tell me that this push from the world saying that if I act superior and dress immodestly, I will truly be extraordinary is all a hoax?

My soul longs for something with more substance. But as a human, I tend to grasp for things with less importance and reach for fillers that are more artificial. Why? Why do I lean towards the cookie instead of the salad? Because it looks so good in the moment, tastes so good most of the time too—unless there are some menacing raisins in them of course. And then that moment is over and all you have left are some extra calories. I don’t want to be the one who grabs a hold of what the world has to offer because I’m tired of chasing after a righteousness that’s just out of reach. I don’t want to be a hairsbreadth away from a relationship with God only to turn and fall into the temptations that come so naturally to us. I want the healing, not the Band-Aid.

Sitting in church, I watch as the pastor walks back and forth hands in full motion. In the background, I see the Grand Tetons and all the beauty encompassing them. God gave us such a beautiful world to inhabit. It could have been dull and gray, but instead it’s blooming with colors I don’t even know the names for. Refocusing my attention on the speaker, I hear these words, “Justification for God to love me doesn’t come from me, but Jesus.” And instead of that awkward moment I’m going to say that joyful moment. That joyful moment when your inadequacy is suddenly covered by the sacrifice of Jesus.

Yep, I had a moment. And from that moment, instead of extra baggage being added to my hunched shoulders, I had a weight lifted from my conscious as if to say, “God’s got that suitcase taken care of.” God is the essence of a true gentleman, isn’t He? As a girl, I dream of a guy who will put his life at risk because of his love for me, who will be chivalrous even after years of being married, and who will see beauty after all my youth has left. Well, Jesus already died for me. He even takes the oppression from me when it’s unbearable and He sees beauty in me even though His purity should have blocked me out. He is all the love I could have asked for and more.

So, now the question is, am I going to let God’s presence take me over in every way? Or am I going to continue on this road of fake happiness? Am I going to accept the unconditional love or am I going to continue searching for a love on earth that doesn’t exist without the presence of God? I’m tired of my petty life. I want meaning and a goal. Real love, life, and healing, only comes from Jesus. To be extraordinary you have to be filled with Him who is extraordinary.

Impartial Eyes

By Makenzie Allen –

Sitting beside a rosy-cheeked, bubbly little girl, I listen as she describes things about her room that bring an element of excitement to her childhood. She introduces me to her dolls one by one, who are all tucked in bed. Moving from one thing to another, she reaches her bookshelf and pulls out her favorite book. And there on the cover stands the main character. With a smile she says, “I always pretend she is you.” And in that moment I am struck by the realization that she claimed me as the living, breathing version of her favorite character. I feel a grin spread across my face that beams with happiness at her admission.

Something I’ve noticed recently is how real children are. They don’t plaster on a smile when they are upset, nor do they say things just to gain an alliance. If something is on their mind, they say it without hesitation. And the more I think about it, the more I realize how refreshing that kind of honesty is.

Scary as it can be, she looks up to me. And I wonder how many times I haven’t been the kind of example I should be for her and other children. How can I be worth looking up to? What can I do to be a true and beneficial example?

Walking along the lake with my little cousin, I look down at her tiny hand clutching mine. My heart melts at this small gesture of companionship. Peering up at me through blue eyes, she giggles at the silly face I make. And yet more laughing as I reach down and weave sticks through my hair. In her slowly improving speech, I hear her say, “Makie so silly.” Makie. I love it when she calls me that. And on we walk, everyone thinking I’m the one blessing her when really, it’s just the opposite.

Have you noticed the moment a child accepts you, a day that felt like failure practically shouts with success? For me, not many other things bring more happiness than when a child decides that I seem fun to be with. Maybe it’s because I know that the friendship they give isn’t just for show. They truly want to be with me, not because of what I look like or who I’m associated with, but because they enjoy my company. It’s as if children see things through impartial eyes, worldly qualifications don’t matter to them. And it’s so reviving to see how children look at the heart, just as God does.

Antsy for Summer

By Makenzie Allen –

Summer is quickly approaching and I wait in anticipation for the day when I can dip my toes in the cool water of our nearby river. When I can look quizzically at the lightning bugs as they twinkle back at me. With much hope that the craving for ice cream isn’t larger than my resolve to look nice in a swimsuit, I eagerly await summer.

Last summer my friend and I migrated to the warm shores of Outer Banks in North Carolina. The sand squished between my toes and the sea breeze caused ripples through the tall grass. No wonder God created the waters and said, “It is good.” And though my heart jumped in time with the waves as I wondered at all the mysteries its depths might hold, one of the things I cherished the most was unity. The way the waves swept along the shore as crabs scuttled frantically to keep up with the torrent. How the dolphins swam together, never leaving their loved ones. Laughing with my longtime friend, standing side by side, we watched the way the waves formed before falling with tremendous force.

Unity is sometimes found in the little things, but once it’s found, glory to a Creator is necessary. That’s the kind of stuff that leaves me breathless. And although it’s hard to see sometimes, everything has a purpose. Everything. From the smallest ant to the largest rodent. There has to be a reason for God suggesting we be like the ants.

Ants have unity, they have perseverance, and they have the strength it takes to preserve not just their life, but also the lives of others in the colony. Instead of looking out for only themselves, they continue collecting food until there is enough to share. Now instead of pondering why God said that, I’m pondering why we don’t act more like the ants. “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6 NIV).

I wish I always acted like an ant. I don’t mean by raiding picnic baskets and biting unsuspecting victims who have dared sit on my anthill. No, I mean by acting on what others need instead of what I want. Unfortunately, my flesh has something to say about that. “Go ahead and wallow in self-pity for how that person hurt you while others around you are suffering from the death of loved ones, nightmares from their past, and the pain it takes just to wake up in the morning and feel okay.” I have it so good, yet my flesh tempts me to view my situation as worse than it is.

So as we approach one of my favorite seasons, I pray that God will give me the endurance it takes to treat others the way I want to be treated. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll be less quick to bite the person who tramples on my anthill and quicker to bring forth the food I’ve collected as well. Let’s just hope I don’t start growing antennas after all this talk of being like the ants.

Made New

By Makenzie Allen –

Another day, another move, it seemed like my life routine. Gazing out at the changing surroundings, watching my home pass by in a blur of different shapes and colors, it felt like everything I’d treasured and enjoyed over the past years was being stolen with every added mile. Tears rolled down my face as I wondered how I’d ever have something even close to my comfortable little life in Mansfield, Ohio. We were moving, again. My dad had gathered my brothers and I together and told us the news that we were moving to Texas, to a small town called Lubbock. After roughly five years of living in Ohio, we were just straight up moving. I’d had my fill already with moving, I was born in Michigan, moved to Wyoming when young, then moved to Ohio in my preteen years. The Lord knew how sick I was of this whole expedition; I’d complained plenty about it. Somehow, He still wasn’t getting it though, my life was way easier when He didn’t move us from state to state. I thought God was supposed to give me joy, instead He decides it might just be fun to move my family and I all around the country. That’s how I saw it, at that point I was determined that if I were in control, life would be a lot better. What I didn’t know is how wrong I really was.

Arriving at our small home in Lubbock, I quickly started to become a hermit of a girl. I figured that if I tried to make friends we’d just move again, causing me more pain. So I stuck with the easy, self-serving plan. How hard could it be right? Just hang out with my bitter thoughts and I. The more mature part of me should have quit the self-pity long before, but I was content to care only about my problems.

Slowly I started bringing my troubles to the Lord. I even made a friend on my tennis team. That’s when I realized: God had my back. My faith seemed to be growing and changing me in ways that have made my character much different than it was. I started to thrive in my community, spiritually and physically. Realizing how wrong I had been for doubting God’s plan for me, I continued to hold fast to His word. While in Texas, I had two dreams that to this day I remember just as clearly as when I had them, both equally meaningful and applicable to my circumstances. They have continued to be of encouragement even still as I continue to walk the road of faith. It was an uplifting experience and made my move all the more character building.

Now I have moved one time since then and am living happily in Michigan. That move brought grief as well, but after a time of sadness and a feeling of loss I began to grow once more. I still struggle with doubt as to God’s plan for my life. However, now I often get excited at the thought of having another struggle present. In my life of sixteen years, one of the most valuable things I’ve learned is that struggles bring healing to a problem you never knew you had. So when you feel the pain of yet another heartache in your life, know that the Lord is making you new. Shaping you into a person who will be strong in faith, mind, and soul.

Oh How He Loves

By Makenzie Allen –

When I was little, I didn’t really get the concept of Jesus dying for me. He’s God right? That means He should be able to beat the bad guys, He’s indestructible. What I didn’t realize is that it was a choice. Jesus chose to die for us so we could be clean in the sight of God.

Can you imagine waking up in the morning and knowing you were going to die that day? That your closest friends were going to turn their backs on you and trade you for money? They would deny that they ever knew you and watch as you breathed your last. This was Jesus’ reality. He gave his friends unconditional love, and they turned away from Him. What amazes me about this is that we expect our friends to take our hand and be with us every step of the way, when the God of the universe did not even find that kind of companionship.

Jesus chose to go through complete abandonment, and death, for us. Now I’m sure your thinking, this is just the classic story of Jesus. Not quite. When you think of one of your closest friends, do you think of someone with redeeming qualities? A friend is someone who’s got your back, someone who cares about what’s going on in your life. So what about Judas, or Peter? One handed Him over for crucifixion, the other denied Him. I’ve had friends I look up to, friends that encourage me, friends that I encourage, and friends who aren’t really who I thought they were. But if my friends turned against me I would be devastated. So why is it that Jesus gave in to men He could easily overpower? I wouldn’t want to give up my life for people who did not appreciate me.

Another childhood misconception I had about God was that my parents could protect me better than He could. One night I was in my room, scared from a nightmare. Walking quickly to my parent’s room, I tapped my dad on the shoulder and told him I was afraid.

My mom rolled over to face me and said, “It’s ok, Jesus will protect you.”

My response had been to put my hand on my hip and say, “What’s he gonna do? He’s just a baby away in a manger!”

Since then I’ve come to see Jesus as my protector. I can walk through my faith knowing that God will be the friend who gives me what everyone longs for; love that isn’t contingent on what they’ve done or who they are.

So that’s not the end of the story.

After Jesus’ friends left Him to face crucifixion alone, He conquered death itself and did another remarkable thing. He forgave. Instead of leaving earth immediately to go home to His Father, Jesus went and saw His disciples. These men who rejected Jesus were shown the kind of love everyone talks about and longs for. If only everyone knew that the love they crave is easily given. There are no requirements you have to reach in order to gain the love and support of God.

So yes, I once questioned why Jesus died for us, I once pondered why He protected better than my parents, but I think I’ve found the answer. He loves us enough to die for our sins, and protects us through our greatest fears.

Oh how He loves.

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