We are tempted to view the routines and ruts of everyday life with derision. Courtney Reissig In a recent article in The New York Times, Alina Tugend asks the same question. Contemplating the accolades of her own children, the NYT columnist writes, “I wonder if there is any room for the ordinary any more, for the child or teenager—or adult—who enjoys a pickup basketball game but is far from Olympic material, who will be a good citizen but won’t set the world on fire.” She notes that for some “in this world, an ordinary life has become synonymous with a meaningless life.” These days, success is measured by the extraordinary rather than the mere faithful or honest. As Tugend says, “we have a need to be exceptional.” And she wonders if this is all a good thing. We can’t all be the next innovative inventor, best-selling author, or Olympic medalist. The reality is that most of us will live our lives in the routine and mundane. This is true as much for Christians as it …