This is a book about what I learned from reading the Gospel of Luke at the age of forty.
As I went through life's rites of passage, learning and establishing myself in the workforce and being pushed out of society, I realized what I had learned along the way and the direction I needed to take in the light of the Word, and I was set free.
I hope that those who have lost their way at one of life's many inflection points, who are wandering around not knowing where to go, will read it and find their way.
1. Extraordinary in the ordinary
Luke 1
46 Mary said, "My soul praises the Lord,
47 My heart rejoiced in God my Savior;
48 For he has cared for the lowly condition of his maid; behold, from now on all ages will call me blessed.
49 He who is mighty has done great things for me; holy is his name.
50 Mercy extends to the fearful from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm, to scatter the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the mighty from above, and exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things, but sent the rich away empty.
54 He helped his servant Israel, had mercy on him and remembered them.
55 To Abraham and to his descendants forever, just as he promised to our fathers.
This is Mary's song of praise after conceiving Jesus. Mary considered herself lowly. It seems she was not from a prominent family. Mary did not appear to be highly educated or a lady from a wealthy household. Her husband was a carpenter but a righteous man. Mary said that God had looked upon her lowliness. God can elevate the lowly to the ranks of nobility and allow them to eat with the wealthy. Similarly, while Joseph's lineage was notable, he adopted and raised Jesus as his son, and his life was not long. However, he has the reward of having raised the Messiah. This was God's plan for Joseph and Mary.
John Bunyan, the author of "The Pilgrim's Progress," realized the essence of the gospel through the stories told by local women. The extraordinariness of the ordinary. People who are glamorous and receive media attention may seem impressive, but often they are like "good-looking but tasteless apricots," while real diamonds are often hidden among ordinary people. I want to live such a life as well. I read a book by a man named MJ DeMarco. He wrote the bestseller "The Millionaire Fastlane," but no one was willing to publish it, so he self-published. The book sold like hotcakes and was translated into nine languages. He grew up as one of three sons to a poor, single mother. He wanted to go to a good college and find a job, but it was difficult. One day, he saw a young man driving a Lamborghini and asked him what he did for a living. The young man answered that he was an inventor. For the first time, DeMarco realized that not only those born into wealth but also young inventors could become rich. He decided to become an entrepreneur with an entrepreneurial spirit.
The journey was tough, but he made it and retired with a large sum of money in his mid-thirties. He advocates becoming a producer. He advised not to be deceived by the script the world has written. Though he was not in the spotlight, he realized something that many people wondered about but didn't understand: that there is a fast lane to wealth, not just a slow lane. He suggests producing and developing systems, stating that if you build a system for a few years, you can become wealthy quickly. He advises not to waste time doing many tasks or trying to make money directly, but to save time instead. In his ordinary life, I saw extraordinariness.
