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“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10b

For as long as I can remember, when I would think about my future, I would dream of having a normal life. I know ‘normal’ is a relative term, but I just mean I wanted it to look like what was normal to me. I wanted a life I recognized, a life I understood, like the one I lived growing up. I wanted to go to college, get married, have a few kids, live in the same house for the rest of my life, and live happily ever after. Picket fences, tree house, a dog or two. You know, normal.

Never was one to have visions of grandeur. (Although, the situation described above is probably considered fairly abnormal and grand these days.) Never planned on saving the world, curing cancer, ending world hunger, writing the great American novel, composing the greatest rock’n’roll song of all time or winning any Oscars. Just always thought of living a quiet little life on a quiet street in a quiet little cocoon that resembles 1958.

As I began to grow up, God began to little by little chip away at my chances of this ‘normal’ life that I so highly esteemed. But I would not be deterred. The normal life was coming. I was sure of it. Sometimes it just takes a little longer than we think, but it’s coming. So I waited. And life kept happening.

Without getting into all the details: Here I sit at 31, a single working mom, about to enter my second marriage. The wonderful man I’m marrying has two children of his own. I will soon be relocating to a new city where I will hopefully find employment in the next few weeks.

Still even up until the last few months, I stubbornly held on to my very slim possibility of eventually settling into normal. I mean, some of the pieces are similar to what I thought: Husband, wife, kids, dog. And there IS a picket fence in our new yard. Didn’t quite come about the way I was planning, but no matter. We will be NORMAL. Things will shake out and I’ll wake up one day in a normal life.

But lately, as I have been feverishly making my new ‘normal’ plans, God has begun working on me. Not the shoulder-shaking, butt-kicking confrontations I’m used to when it comes to areas of stubbornness. But gentle entreaties, whispered invitations that have been stirring a deeply hidden part of my heart that knows I was created for something more. And whatever it is, I’m starting to want it.

As I began to turn this idea of normal around in my head, I put it next to the call of Christ, looking for any even slight similarities. Nothing. Okay, okay, but doesn’t God call people to a ‘normal’ life all the time? You know, to be missionaries in their own little world? Yes, all the time. But what’s their heart? The things of God? Or the normal life?

Oh My precious child, why do you hang on so tightly to this mediocre dream of normal? What about Me, what about My character is normal? I’ve taken you to My glorious Grand Canyon. I’ve held you in My hand as you have floated in My wild oceans. You’ve seen My mountains and My sunsets. You’ve given birth to a child under My watchful eye. You’ve watched hard hearts soften to Me and proud knees bow to Me. You’ve stood in awe of My plan of salvation. You’ve experienced My forgiveness, redemption and miracles. My dear child, I AM far from normal.

The unknown may scare you, but nothing is unknown to Me. When you finally come home and we look back at your life together, we will not determine its success against how normal it turned out. We will gage it by how much you believed Me, and how hard you followed Me. The moments you thought your life was falling apart were the moments I was releasing you from the idol of normal.  Grab onto Me and hold on with everything you’ve got. I am not calling you to a life of patterns and safety. I want be your wildest dream.

My King, this day in this moment, I am letting go of normal. Because You and I both know Your children were made for more. And no amount of security will ever satisfy those who have been called by God. Lord, fill me with courage and faith. Thank You for saving me.

From normal.

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