“The soul and the schedule don’t follow the same rules.”
Ordinary doesn’t mean what we tend to make it mean. Ordinary comes from the word “ordinal,” which means “to count.” Ordinary time is the time to make the days count. In the ordinary days, such as Tuesday, we have a chance to take our “small” lives and make them count. Small does not have to be a negative thing, either. We all feel small when we look at the grand night sky or when we are quietly stunned by nature. Smallness honors the greatness of the universe – of God.
Simply Tuesday was given to me in a book club book exchange a few months ago. I really enjoy reading inspirational books. I always learn something and am pushed to be better when I read them. I’ve had Emily P. Freeman’s book, Grace for the Good Girl, on my to-read list for a while. Now that I’ve read Simply Tuesday, I am moving her other book up on my list. I really enjoyed the way she writes.
One of the reasons the author wrote the book was because she posted a question on social media what things made people feel small. Responses started with the negative feeling of being small (bullying, embarrassment, criticism), but several people asked if she meant the good kind or the bad kind. She had wanted to search out the good feeling of being small. Her book encourages people to celebrate the small, the ordinary – the Tuesdays. (Does anything really exciting ever happen on Tuesday?)
Simply Tuesday is divided into five parts, each containing three chapters. Each section starts with goals for the reader and ends with discussion/reflection questions. Each chapter ends with a prayer. It works great for personal reflections, but could also be great for a small group of friends or a book club to read through together. I think any adult would find encouragement from this book. It is written from a Christian perspective of living.
What things make you feel “small” (in a good way)? Comment below!
Buy the book here (affiliate link.)
This review was shared on AnOpenBook with Carolyn Astfalk and CatholicMom.com!