ABOUT an ORDINARY CHRISTIAN WOMAN
Getting to Know Me
THE NAME..."ORDINARY"
an Ordinary Christian Woman aka Cecilia T. Whitacre
This little ministry came about solely because of my own need. When my previous church stopped offering women's ministry classes & retreats- a few of us simply got together, with the Lord's prompting, and held our first retreat and began leading Bible studies.
Many wonder about the ministry name and often express some confusion as to why I would name the ministry or myself as "ordinary."
After decades in ministry, around those with numerous degrees and titles, I always felt a bit inferior- but at the same time I witnessed that having titles and degrees didn't always insure one's maturity or ability either.
And then one day the Lord firmly reminded me- when I was complaining about feeling unqualified like Moses and asking Him to use someone else (Ex 4:13) - that He most often uses ordinary people. He also reminded me that He would always be with me helping too.
Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
Ex. 4:10-12
I love the the encouragement with which Luke writes of Peter & John in their ordinariness as well. Most of what made them qualified to minister to others... was simply that they had been with Jesus. Being in Jesus presence, learning from him is what heals, equips and empowers us for ministry.
"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."
Acts 4:13
It is in our ordinary, that God can reveal His extraordinary!
I also appreciate the way St. Thérèse of Lisieux held her humanity in humility, her littleness AND our inherent goodness...
"St. Thérèse could not be tricked by satan, because she never doubted the goodness inherent in being human. Acknowledging her ‘littleness', her fragile and vulnerable humanity, was never a rejection of God’s handiwork.
This humility enabled her to hold steadfastly to what is written in sacred Scripture: ‘He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you.’ (Ps 91:11-12, Luke 4:10)
Knowing herself imperfect made her rely on the perfection of God. Her limitations led her to trust more deeply in his care." -Fr. Gary Caster
So there you have it....I wanted to simply call my ministry the way I saw it...yes, we are masterfully & wonderfully created (Eph 2:10)- but I am an ordinary imperfect woman whom God uses to do His extraordinary ministry.
Apart from Him I can do nothing (John 15:5). And anything good that comes from me, I believe ultimately comes from God. This title of "ordinary" takes the focus off me and places the praise and focus where it belongs- on Almighty God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights"
James 1:17
