Finding the Extraordinary within the Ordinary

Throughout my daily life here in Syracuse, I have found myself getting quite stuck in routine. Waking up, getting to work, going home, having dinner with the community etc… And for a while, it was quite challenging. When I imagined what my life would look like during my time here at FrancisCorps this past summer, I imagined a life full of the extraordinary, not necessarily the ordinary. As I reflect on my experience thus far, it really has been ordinary. And, for a while, I thought I was “doing FrancisCorps wrong.” A question that swirled in my mind this fall was, “why does each day feel ordinary when I thought it was supposed to be extraordinary?” Having been in an environment of simple living and community these past six months, I have slowly begun to see the extraordinary within the ordinary. Whether that is getting to bring home donated flowers for a community member, supporting one another at various events tied to our service sites, someone in the community staying up extra late to pick another up from the airport, or when little acts of kindness are done around the bright yellow house just to brighten someone’s day, there really are lots of extraordinary moments within the ordinary day. It is through these last six months of living my life so differently than years prior, that I have been able to see just how big small acts of love can truly be. I have found that God has really challenged me to find the extraordinary, to find Him, in the ordinary, mundane tasks of each day.

I have seen this same theme at my service site, the Poverello Health Center and the Assumption Food Pantry. Especially during these last few weeks, Syracuse has been getting lots of snow, and with lots of snow, comes lots of shoveling. Each morning when I have been outside shoveling the Food Pantry ramp and walkway, various clients would give me small accolades, sometimes some shoveling advice, and occasionally would offer to help. At first, the task of shoveling was both mundane and daunting, but as time has gone on, it has become such a wonderful way to connect with those I am serving each day. When I am over at the clinic, it is the little moments that have become so memorable. Whether it is a routine patient interaction or one that is out of the ordinary, each one has become extraordinary in their own way. One that calls to mind is a phone call I had with a patient recently. While I was completing a routine screening follow-up, toward the end of our call, this patient shared with me just how thankful they are for the kindness and compassion they receive each time they come to the clinic. Clinic, for me, is routine and ordinary, but I tend to forget that for our patients it may be the only place they see a smiling face or feel listened to. It truly is these small moments where I have seen the ordinary become the extraordinary. 

That, for me, has been the greatest gift of FrancisCorps thus far. As I look toward my future, I am so thankful for this gift of learning to find the extraordinary within the ordinary. It has made each cold, gray, winter day beautiful when I am able to notice the size of the snowflakes or the sparkling icicles. It has made checking in 60+ clients at the food pantry each day a source of conversation and intention, rather than a time of efficiency. And it has made each interaction with patients a space of peace and mutuality. As I continue on this FrancisCorps journey I look forward to it all with such joy and gratitude as I take in the gifts I have been given and the gifts I will soon receive. God continuously amazes me with His ability to make the ordinary, simply extraordinary.

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