Ever ask “Is my life normal?”

The concept of “normal” in your life changes. 

Here is what God is teaching me about being “normal”:

Normal does not exist. 

I have lived long enough to know that no one is “normal”. No person is “normal”, no family is “normal”  and no marriage is “normal”.  The question becomes: “what is normal, anyway?” Who defines what is “normal”?  Further, what qualities them to do it? Bah! No, I’ve learned normal is whatever season God has you in the moment.

I remember when my brother passed, I felt my grieving process was incredibly long.  Then I spoke to a Christian counselor at my church and he reassured me I was indeed “normal” in my grief process. I also began talking to others who suffered sudden loss and decided compared to them, I’m OK too. Grief should never halt life or cause people to abandon routines. That’s when we seek help from a professional. Same goes if we feel life isn’t worth living or we feel nagging guilt.

The only thing that doesn’t change is… CHANGE.

My mom always says “one thing you can count on is change. Good or bad … nothing stays the same.”  So, whatever is good in your life (or whatever is bad), rest, assured, it will change. That’s actually normal. Don’t allow changes freak you out; it’s part of life. Your “luck” isn’t bad (of course, we don’t believe in luck, but people say that stuff all the time). You’re not cursed, life just happens and God orders our steps through struggles for His higher purpose.

 

If things stayed the same, we wouldn’t need faith.

Speaking of God’s higher purposes, sometimes His grooming us into warriors is a painful process of changing our “normal”. He takes jobs, friendship, relationship and other comforts to teach us to depend on Him and not those things. In doing so, our lives seem to be dismantled and taken by storm. But, they are not. Behind the scenes, God is at work. His purposes being fulfilled and He works all things out for our good. 

Do you want peace, Christian Lady?

I know how to keep peace when life seems abnormally crazy. I work to accept the things I cannot change, trust God’s sovereignty at all times and be ready to redefine the concept of “normal” in all aspects of your life…at any given time. Am I perfect at it? NO!!!  Again, I work at it. 

 This system worked for me years ago when I lost both my brothers, and even now, as I am re-introduced to this idea this week after a stinging and painful family loss.

 Normal is change and change is normal.  We have to be ready to cry, adjust and accept.  

 It takes some time. 

 Often it takes a lot of time, but healing looms when we understand life changes, amen?