On the first of May, I was driving along in my car, contemplating all things COVID and the changes it had brought to my life, and the lives of others around the world. As I did so, I began to think about what it might be like to return to ‘normal’. So, I pulled over the car, and spoke into my phone to record my thoughts.
A little time has passed since then. Restrictions have eased in some nations, and in others they’ve escalated. Life remains rather ‘out of the norm’ for many. Nevertheless, I believe that the idea of ‘normality’ still fills our thoughts as we ponder the future. So here are those musings that I recorded in my car a few weeks back (if you’d like to listen to the audio click here – New Normal – excuse the ‘ums’ and ‘yeahs’ ha ha)…
We all are craving a sense of returning back to normal. I think that the reality is that we’re not yearning for normal as such, but we’re craving comfort. What we knew as normal had become comfortable to us because it was just the way things were. Some of that normal was great, but some of it needed a shakeup.
I’m reminded that in the Bible (both the Old and New Testament), normal was regularly disturbed by the Father. He often had to take people away from their comfort zones for Him to be able to do some pretty amazing things in and through them.
I find myself longing for old, familiar comfortable, enjoyable and good parts of normal to return (I’m so keen!). But I’m also kind of looking and longing with some excitement towards creating a new normal, allowing God to change things up and bring freshness into my life. I want to put Him first, laying aside the things that have perhaps come between us, between the intimacy that He craves to have with me and that I really want to have with Him. As He leads me into the future, I long to be open to gaining renewed perspectives and priorities. I desire to be discerning about what to keep from my old normal and what the Creator wants to bring forth in this next season.
And so I think this is an amazing challenge and encouragement for us to just know that we don’t need to fight or fear finding that new normal, but we can be blessed and encouraged, knowing that God will lead us to the places that we need to be, and while we may face some discomfort as we embrace and discover new normals, we’ll also find Him, and His purposes and how to live them out well.
Allowing the Lord to awakens dreams and shape wondrous new beginnings can seem daunting – most of us aren’t overly fond of change. The key to embracing transformation is to lean into Him and trust in His unfailing love. When you know that your Father loves you, you can rest securely in the peace that only He gives.
Photo credits:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/scenic-view-of-the-forest-during-sunrise-1006121/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/adult-barista-beverage-cafe-373639/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-rabbit-holding-gold-frame-pocket-watch-statue-149290/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-writing-on-the-wall-3627937/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-red-and-yellow-tulip-flowers-2388650/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/scenic-view-of-mountains-during-dawn-1266810/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-lying-on-brown-wooden-bench-842292/
© Girl Growing. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission, from this blog’s author and owner, is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Girl Growing, http://www.girlgrowing.com
girlgrowing 