I was looking through my prayer/devotion journal this past week and came across a devotion that hit me in a new way. Let me get straight to it…

Mark 6:3 (paraphrasing…)

“Isn’t this the carpenter?”

Doesn’t seem like a huge statement does it? But the truth that lies just beneath the service is life changing.

How come we don’t see people more for what they can be than how they currently are? That role isn’t just reserved for ministers, clergy, and parents with children. That should be all of us. Too often we fail to realize the potential greatness we are surrounded by every day. Why? Because on the surface they are just “carpenters”, construction workers, waitresses, etc. Most extraordinary people are ordinary…and that is why we miss it. We have become so complacent in vision that we fail to see the true potential of our surroundings. Let me explain…

Most of you know that I have moved down near the Austin area of Texas. The scenery down here is breath taking…rolling hills, beautiful greenery, gorgeous rivers and lakes, and wildlife in abundance. You know what? Most people around here don’t notice it until a person new to the area brings it out. Why? Because they have grown used to…What was once awesome and eye opening is now the normal and boring.

The real truth of this scripture is that there really are people around us daily that have the potential and power to change the face of the church and world. However, what we see, is just a man, a woman, a teenager, or a child. If we could see like Jesus…then maybe the next time we see a seemingly average fisherman, tax collector, or doctor…we might think, “Wow, here is someone with the potential to turn the world upside down.”