Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Shalom in the City

Home
Progressive Christian
FMF: Ordinary Girl Loves an Ordinary Boy

FMF: Ordinary Girl Loves an Ordinary Boy

Last updated on: March 1, 2013 at 11:05 pm by Osheta Moore

FMF: Ordinary Girl Loves an Ordinary Boy 2013-03-01T23:05:00-08:00 Osheta Moore

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

TGIF! Date night’s in a little less than an hour. My FMF is coming later than usual because spent the day writing Third Way Womanhood part 4—I’m thiiiiiiiiiiiis close to finishing, but I needed a break so I popped over to Lisa-Jo’s site and grabbed today’s prompt. Since y’all know Jesus works on me through media and music, it shouldn’t be a surprising that today’s prompt reminded me of John Legend’s ultra-cool, but gritty love song, “Ordinary People”. (click the link for the music video)

I hope y’all are encouraged by a look at our early years of marital conflict in today’s FMF called:

Start

source

Ordinary Girl Love an Ordinary Boy

The first time I heard John Legend’s “Ordinary People”, my husband and I were quarrelling.

Not the “oh he’s so annoying, but still cute, so I’ll quickly kiss and forgive him” quarreling. No, the type of quarrelling that lasts for days. The disjointed and red dreams at night because the sun set on your anger quarrelling. The can’t look at you without replaying the words you said quarrelling. The “who are you, why are you so angry, and what have you done with my husband?” quarrelling.

To this day, I can’t remember why that season was so contemptuous for us, but it was in the midst of this time that I was driving home from the grocery store and this song came on.

I hummed along to the melody. I nodded to the beat. I sang along to the last chorus. I sighed at the lovely piano driven song.

That night the quarrelling resumed and as I laid on my bed preparing once more for angry, red, disjointed dreams, I ranted to Jesus, which I’m wont to do.

As I complained and condemned husband for every hurt word, action, and deed this song drifted to me in the dark.

We’re just ordinary people, we don’t know which way to go.

Which way do I go, Lord? I’m just an ordinary girl in love with an ordinary boy and things are extraordinarily hard.

take it slow, sometimes we take it slow. Jesus reminded me using the words from the end of the chorus.

Slow. Slow? What are you telling me, Lord?

Then a scripture I’ve quoted often and followed rarely pressed into my heart,

“slow to speak, slow to anger.”

And the conviction that came both seared and soothed.

In my pride I held onto the offenses blaming my ordinariness in this new, past the novelty phase marriage, but what about my husband?

Was he as ordinary as me?

Ordinary in his anger management?

Ordinary in his word choice?

Ordinary in his compassion?

Ordinary in as a new husband?

If so, then he’s just an ordinary boy in love with an ordinary girl who doesn’t know which way to go.

I should give him the grace I expect. I should kiss and forgive, even if I have to do it every single day.

So I prayed for grace, with my tear-stained cheek pressed to my pillow before drifting off to sleep, settled to forgive, determined to love, full of peace that surpasses all understanding.

The quarrelling continued in the post-fairy tale phase of marriage until we learned to respond to ordinary moments of frustration with extra-ordinary grace— but the hurt, the pain, and red, angry, disjointed dreams went away.

Because I learned to take it slow.

It’s true we’re just ordinary people, but we serve an extraordinary Forgiver who empowers us to be slow to speak, slow to anger, and quick to love.

Stop

Wanna join in:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.. – See more at:

Previous Post

February 22, 2013

FMF: What My Mamas Did

Next Post

March 6, 2013 Misanthrope with a Mocha

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Anabaptist As a Jesus-Girl As a Mommy As a Third Way Woman Blog Composting Fair-Trade Fashion Faith Family Fearless Fridays In the Church in the Community in the Home Justice Marriage Ministry Peacemaking podcast Race Shalom Session Slider The City The Suburbs Uncategorized Watching What's Happening In The World What I'm Into

Select a Month March 2018 October 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 January 2017 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 May 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What mountain was the prophet Elijah hiding on when an earthquake, wind, fire, and then a whisper came?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Mount Carmel Mount Moriah Mount Horeb Mount Gerizim