Too many people miss seeing God as friendly, active, relevant, and interested in their daily circumstances, according to Doug Sherman in his book More than Ordinary: Enjoying Life With God. They are unable to imagine God turning an ordinary day into something amazing, or to see how God wants them to be filled with joy, pleasure, and excitement, and to live lives that are anything but commonplace.
Doug starts by describing how his life as a rebellious insecure fourteen-year-old was interrupted when Jesus showed up one day and, although a number of years passed before he had contact with other Christians or started attending a church, Doug quickly found the joy of living each day with Jesus, talking with him and learning from him. God wants us to engage him every day to enjoy a growing companionship and a great adventure, and to be changed from the inside out by his character.
However, most people experience dry periods in their relationship with God, and Doug describes a day when he recognised that the close friendship and excitement of enjoying life with Jesus had faded and he now seemed more like a distant king. This recognition led to a fresh start and a period of renewed growth.
For many Christians faith in Jesus is an intellectual decision to accept certain truth propositions, rather than something which results in a radical change in the way they experience life. This book aims to be an antidote to that kind of Christianity, following in the tradition of Brother Lawrence’s book The Practice of the Presence of God. I highly recommend the book to anyone who wants to be inspired to enjoy their walk with God more.