My sister and I were talking about our community, the lack of respect in schools, the lack of honest carpenters and mechanics who aren't in it for the money but have come to do a decent job. We talked about how people are saying that we need more electricians and teachers and car mechanics and bakers and cooks and school bus drivers and...just hard-workers doing ordinary jobs.

But then I got to thinking...what if those jobs are no longer ordinary? What if these jobs can be the most unique opportunities you'll get?


One reason I've chosen to write YA fiction wasn't because I enjoyed reading it - actually I don't think I really picked up a young adult book from the teen section in the library until I was in my late teens (I think it was Divergent). I just found the genre lacking what teens (or at least I) wanted to read. There was just such an amount of sex and language, that I found it lacking anything decent. Sure teens can relate, but it wasn't something I wanted the world to be able to relate to or be encouraged by.

So I decided to write the kind of books I saw lacking on the YA shelf: Books about mental illness, loneliness, depression, self-harm, but also about defeating those with Light. I was sick of seeing books ending in darkness...I wanted the ending to be realistic, to be relate able but in a good, encouraging, solid way that both a Christian and secularist could pick it up and enjoy it.

This felt like my call, what I wanted to take up: an ordinary cause made my own.

And with my summer job I found to my surprise that I had SO many opportunities to stand for what I believe in and share my testimony, even though I was told I couldn't. I had more witness opportunities then I'd ever had...in a simple job watching kids for a few hours out of the day.

And this just doesn't go for me: It goes for everyone.

We need more teachers in schools to stand up for what is right, to teach both a secular and Christian point of view, to be willing to share the love of Christ even though you're told you're not allowed.

We need more lawyers who are willing to stand up for Truth and aren't about the money.

We need more plumbers, mechanics and carpenters going into homes and seeing it as a time they can fix not only the physical.

We need more counselors to teach that healing doesn't always come with mental exercises

We need more doctors who learn that healing goes beyond the bottle

We need more people willing to be youth pastors and reach a dying spiritual movement.

We need more people we see as ordinary

to live for Christ.

Now is the time we can go and be ordinary yet extraordinary. It's time to be missionaries in our own neighborhoods because now more then ever you can do just that. Now it's time to step out as mentors, as teachers, as leaders - for Christ.
I'm seeing a world darkened by sin, the government allowing people get away with sin. I'm seeing school systems say sin is OK. I'm seeing kids disrespect school bus drivers. I'm seeing pastors stick with just those in their church. I'm seeing doctors just hand people a bottle or give them a mental exercise and say that will fix the complete problem.
And this isn't right. I'm tired of being stuck following what the world tells me is OK. I'm tired of thinking only missionaries have witness opportunities. I'm tired of listening to the government when they tell me I can't spread Light.

It's time to be ordinary.

Dare to choose the ordinary.