During the celebration of the advent season I realized that God often reveals Himself in the most ordinary places. Jesus born in a manger, the most ordinary place for a birth. In the natural, a very humble beginning for the King of Kings. The Jews were waiting for the birth of their Messiah but none were looking for him there. Not in a manager and not in Bethlehem.

Then I remembered the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well. She was simply doing what needed to be done with little expectation of anything out of the ordinary. Then she met Jesus who asked her to draw him water. He was resting there on a journey from one place to another, it did not look intentional but clearly was. This meeting was extraordinary because first of all she was a Samaritan who the Jews would have nothing to do with and secondly a woman who they would not speak to publicly on the street. Jesus then operates in the gift of knowledge, gently exposing her sin and offering her the free gift of living water and eternal life. She recognizes him as a prophet then as the promised Messiah. ( As a Samaritan she knew of the promised Messiah as they had a mixed theology “Jehovah” worship and heathenism.)

John 4: 14

14 But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) [continually] within him unto (into, for) eternal life.

24 God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality).

25 The woman said to Him, I know that Messiah is coming, He Who is called the Christ (the Anointed One); and when He arrives, He will tell us everything we need to know and make it clear to us.

26 Jesus said to her, I Who now speak with you am He.

28 Then the woman left her water jar and went away to the town. And she began telling the people,

29 Come, see a Man Who has told me everything that I ever did! Can this be [is not this] the Christ? [Must not this be the Messiah, the Anointed One?]

30 So the people left the town and set out to go to Him

39 Now numerous Samaritans from that town believed in and trusted in Him because of what the woman said when she declared and testified, He told me everything that I ever did.

40 So when the Samaritans arrived, they asked Him to remain with them, and He did stay there two days.

As I thought about meeting Jesus in ordinary places like the manager and the well I could not help but think about the ordinary places that God meets us. I often meet with God at Church, and He met many at the Synagogues. But he also showed up in places where he was unexpected as he did with after the resurrection with the two men walking along on the road to Damascus who did not recognize him. ( Luke 24:14-35)

When we are not expecting God to reveal himself we run the risk of missing him completely. However, if we endeavor to remain in a place of expectancy, looking for him and what he wants to do through us I think we will find him in the most ordinary places. I often think of my friend Loren who has a market place ministry. So often before leaving to run errands she asks the Lord for “God opportunities”. She has the most amazing meetings where Jesus shows up to minister to strangers. She expects him in the ordinary places of her life.

It is so easy to segment our days. “God time” in the morning then time to get it all done…then perhaps more time with Him in small group in the evening. “God time” at Church and choir practice and then our time running errands, taking trips etc. Yet God wants to show himself to us all the time, in the expected places and at unexpected times as well.

I have shared the story with many of you when three years ago my friend Arlynn was cooking God spoke to her and told her to stop cooking and start praying against a spirit of death. It just happened that my son Jason was drowning at that very moment…The results of recognizing the voice of God and being obedient were extraordinary. My friend met Jesus in the kitchen, an ordinary place where the extraordinary took place.

I recently recounted a story to my daughter in law about a small retreat I went to with a number of friends years ago where I felt impressed to ask the leader if we could stop the teaching and pray for someone who had not arrived yet. It felt rather odd at the time but so glad I listened to the Lord even when it seemed inconvenient. When our friend did arrive and we asked her what had happened an hour before she went a bit pale as she told us she had been turning off the road to go over the cliff with her car to end her pain when something made her stop and continue onto the retreat..

I know we all have stories of meeting Jesus when we least expect it. I also know that if we move through our days with a greater sense of expectation and have our ears open to his voice we will hear him, we will meet him and we will see the most extraordinary things happen. It may not be as dramatic as these stories. It maybe simply meeting with Jesus in your prayer closet and finally getting clarity on an issue or while you are in the midst of a conversation that you are nudged or hear that still small voice and it moves us to a place of faith to bless another person. The point is God loves to meet us in the common places and when we listen or obey He will do the extraordinary.

Likewise we have the most amazing opportunities to “be Jesus with skin on” to others in very common places. People are surprised and blessed when we are simply intentional about being as much like Jesus to them as we can. Today when I went into town I was concentrating on bringing Jesus to everyone I might meet. Since I had physical therapy it was a great place to practice. I remembered to be patient, friendly, smile, listen and give grace to a very busy receptionist. Too often I rush through my errands forgetting to walk as Christ would, seeing people through his eyes, extending his love…I just want to get the job done and get home. Today was different and it was fun..

So in this busy month of December as you hurry to get everything done just remember Jesus may want to chat with you in the middle of it all….