Here are a few examples. For instance, my wife and oldest daughter, Alexie, are phenomenal dancers. It only takes a certain type of music to get them moving. I have watched them dance in worship settings with other women, and the contrast in effect is astounding. Watching some of the other dancers, no matter how well they danced, I mostly felt their effort, their concentration, and their work. But watching my wife and daughter, I felt their enjoyment, their pas- sion, and a sort of fully engaged thoughtlessness. Dance flows out of them from a place deeper than training. When they dance, they are in their glory. There is a splendor and abundance of dance in them. When they dance, they are extraordinary.
Then there’s David, who served on a board of directors with me. David is certified in the area of human-resources management. His input and perspective, along with the others on the board, was invaluable for the board’s function of governance. But during one particular board meeting something changed, and we all noticed it. David had a “knowing” about him, an uncommon engagement in the moment, a persuasive authority in his countenance and words that went far beyond his training. In that moment, he was in his glory. There was a weightiness to his life and words. Then and there, he was extraordinary.
And then there was the day I found one of my sons in the garage building something. He was oblivious, or at least unconcerned that he was being observed. He was totally engrossed in his work and enjoying every minute of it. My son was not even aware of the conditions sur- rounding him—the amount of light in the room, the temperature, or his hunger level. Something was going on in him beyond just having fun, something extraordinary. There was an importance, a weightiness, a splendor to his activity. He was in his glory.
In all of these examples, I experienced the “weightiness” of another’s life, and it left an impression on me. I witnessed something extraordinary (outside the ordinary), something exceptional. These were not simply jobs well done; these were displays of each person’s splendor and God’s.
