Entering the Realm of Extraordinary
“Johnny had a way with words. He also had a way with timing. In the silence of the next 20 seconds, his words sunk deep, touching and inspiring the source of greatness, a seed that had been sown earlier in my life but had failed to be watered. It was a seed born out of childhood stories of valor and heroism, knights in shining armor, and warriors riding upon white horses. The hero was always prepared. When his number was called, with much confidence and skill he struck down his foe with great expectation of victory. In my heart of hearts I wanted to be one of them. But somewhere along the way, I slammed this door, hearing only the voice that said, ‘You are ordinary; extraordinary is only for the books.’ But this week a story was being written and expectations were increasing.”
The deafening voices of the myriad of naysayers are incessant and a poison that is destructive to dreams. In God’s wonderful economy of blessings, he chooses to use the Holy Spirit within us to speak to us about the greatness that is inside of each of us, but also the lives of those we touch. In fact it could be our voice that changes the destiny of another. I worked with a coach that was considering taking out one of his starters right before the National NCAA Championship Match in women’s volleyball. After we discussed this concept he decided instead to call out greatness in her before the match and start her. He considered her the weak link. In the National Championship Match she exploded and led the teams in kills, set an NCAA record for the most kills in a playoff game, was named MVP of the National Championship Match and All Tournament Team. When he asked her what happened, she said, “This was the first time that you told me that you believed in me.” He realized then that his words could change a destiny. And so can yours… to yourself and others. And God’s word is extravagantly powerful and leads us into the realm of extraordinary.