What is Normal?

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NLT

 I don’t know about you, but Tom and I have been in a very unusual season over the last six months as we have both battled some physical challenges. It’s natural to want to “get back to normal.” Ever feel that way? But I have found myself asking, “What is normal anyway?”

We think normal means smooth with no obstructions. Deep within we think normal means perfect because that is what God intended. We are wired for eternity which will be perfect. But the normal we live in is the broken normal that Adam and Eve bequeathed us when they took life into their own hands in the form of shiny, delicious forbidden fruit. Their bites broke normal as God intended and passed on to us a normal that we don’t want.

The normal we have received is full of bumps and obstacles, limits and loss. We lost perfect in the garden and gained struggle, heartache, and sometimes hopelessness.

Right now, my normal means I have limitations as I recover from the basement fall that broke my wrists. It means that I have a new normal. In this new normal I have faced some unexpected pains, struggles, and trauma. In this new normal I am a bit more careful as I head down into the basement or lift a pitcher of water or drive to the store. My abilities are not fully recovered, but so much better than when I was first injured. Even when my recovery is complete, the memories will be a part of me. I will remember falling, breaking my wrists and all that followed. So, normal will never be the same.

So, what should I expect as “normal”? Maybe these thoughts will help you navigate the broken normal you are living.

Normal faces many challenges. My recent challenges are additions to all those that have come in the sixty-plus years I’ve lived. Choppy seas are normal for you, and for me, even though we long for smooth and steady sailing. If we can accept the challenges that come with our broken normal, we will be able to ride the waves without fear and with peace. Are you ready for your next normal challenge?

Normal is full of restrictions. We have come to believe that freedom means no restrictions, haven’t we? When we find ourselves having to live within limits we rebel. Yet, we live within many limits that we accept like speed limits or waiting in lines. The limits we rebel against are the ones that keep us from doing what our flesh longs to do. Budget limits keep us from spending on our pleasures. Physical limits keep us from going every place we want to go. There are plenty of limits we live with.

Adam and Eve did not like the restriction God gave about what fruit they could eat. They had many unrestricted choices, but the one they wanted was the fruit God said no to. And how did that turn out? You and I are living in it — the loss of perfection, a broken normal.

Dear Friend, I am finding that my current limits cause me to keep asking God for wisdom on where I can go and what I can do. What if your current restrictions and mine are meant to keep us more dependent on God? More dependency means closer. Isn’t that what we say we want?

Normal requires dependence. Normal as God intended was a life of total dependence on Him. That is what Adam and Eve rebelled against. They wanted to “be like God” and not need anyone. Even God.

If I am honest with myself, that is what I want as well. I want to be able to figure it out or do it by myself without asking for help. I don’t need to ask Tom to tie my shoes or put on my toothpaste anymore, but there are still things I need help with and I defer asking for it until I get too frustrated to keep trying. I am learning that I’ve approached God the same way — after I have attempted on my own rather than before I start. That needs to change.

 But here is the hope I come back to: This normal is not all there is. God has placed eternity in our hearts so that we long for the normal He intended (Ecclesiastes 3:11). My hope is in the future restoration of all things, of the normal perfection God intended.

Some day the normal you and I long for will be what we experience. Normal perfection with no interruptions of trauma, tears, or pain. Normal will mean we live in His presence with no distractions. And that will mean perfect joy. That is a restoration worth waiting for and working toward.

Dear Friend, let’s embrace our broken normal and let our restrictions and limits lead us to a dependence that looks to God first. Then we will be ready for the normal perfect that awaits us.

 Key Question: What is normal?

A Scripture to Consider: “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NLT

A YES Challenge: What limits are you facing in your broken normal? How can you let those limits deepen your dependence on God?

Prayer: Father God, I don’t like limits and I don’t like having to depend on others. But I am realizing that fighting against dependence is fighting against You. That is not what I want! Help me to accept the limits You have allowed in my life as opportunities to grow in my dependence on You. I need You every hour, Lord. Help me to seek You and Your strength, to seek Your presence continually. (Psalm 105:4) Amen.