Flower

Flower

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Letters to Heaven: Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

"Do ordinary things with extraordinary love." St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

September 20, 2008

Good morning, Jesus:

Thank You for this beautiful and glorious day. Thank You for the sunrise. Thank You for my ordinary life. I lead a very ordinary life. I live in an ordinary house, in an ordinary neighborhood, in an ordinary city. There is nothing great or spectacular about my life. Yet, to me, my ordinary life is extraordinary.


In this ordinary city of Miami, where thousands of people live, where I can get lost in the crowd, You have always managed to lead me towards extraordinary people. Women and men that love You, that follow You, that lead a simple life in an extraordinary way simply because they have chosen to follow You. Thank You for all these men and women that You have placed in my life. Thank You for the friends, the sisters, that are here with me this weekend. We are in silence but I can feel the love pouring out of them.

Thank You for my ordinary family. Thank You for giving me the opportunity to meet all four of my grandparents, which in itself is something extraordinary. Thank You for my mom and my two dads. Thank You because all three are still alive, and they are an extraordinary part of my life. Thank You for my brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and the huge extended family that You gave me through my hubby (aunts, uncles, and more cousins than I can count). Thank You because my ordinary family is truly extraordinary.

One day, You placed a very simple, ordinary man in my path. Yet, to me, he was extraordinary because I felt in love with him. Thank You for placing my wonderful hubby and companion in my path 28 years ago. He is my love and my everything. Thank You for every moment that we have shared, for every experience that we have gone through together, for all the joys, all the tears, all the hugs, all the kisses, and thank You too for the fights because we learned from them, and it brought us closer together.


In three different occasions, You gave us three very small gifts, but they were the most extraordinary gifts: our three children. For other people, they are three ordinary children, but to us, they are extraordinary. Each one of them has brought a special ingredient into our mix. They are good kids and I thank You for every minute that I have been able to spend with them, watching them grow, and sharing all the special moments of their lives. Thank You, Jesus, for giving these extraordinary gifts to us.

We worked hard, saved some money, and bought first a little house. Then, we changed the little house for a medium house as our family got bigger. It may be a simple, ordinary house to most, but to us, our house is extraordinary. Mostly, because it's not simply a house, it's our home, it's our church, it's the place where we pray and worship You, together, as a family. Thank You, Jesus, for always allowing us to have a roof over our heads. Thank You for our extraordinary home.

Thank You also for our ordinary jobs that allow us to provide a good education for our kids, to always have food on the table, and to live our ordinary lives in a very comfortable way. Thank You for all the extraordinary treasures that You have given me. Help me not to be selfish and to share what You so generously have shared with me. Help me to share my possessions and my talents. Help me not to be afraid to give both my treasure and my time.


All these little, extraordinary things, scream the love that You have for me.

I place myself in your hands, Jesus. I am just this ordinary and simple servant, but I am here to do your will. I don't expect anything extraordinary, I just trust You completely. Here I am, at your service.

I love You, Jesus!!!



September 20, 2017

Dear Jesus:

Thank You for helping me find joy in the routines of my life. Thank You for helping me focus on the beauty that surrounds me. Thank You for allowing me to see You everywhere. Thank You for helping me find the extraordinary in the ordinary.

I love You, Jesus!!!

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