Our New Normal . . . . .

What is normal? It is so many different things to different people. Have you ever been over to someone's house for dinner and they are eating something you've never even dreamed of purchasing at the store, much less cooking into a meal? Or maybe they made something you are familiar with, but when you cook it, you do it just slightly different. What is a normal way of cooking a specific dish or what is normal food to one person, may be completely abnormal to another.

My version of normal in my home is - send the kids to school, go to work, come home to be with the kiddos in the afternoon, work out a couple days a week, Lifegroup ever other week, an occassional sporting event, church every Sunday, dinner as a family every night . . . .

Well, my normal has been interrupted and now, in the midst of all that we are checking blood sugar levels, counting carbs, calculating insulin dosages, and switching out some of our "normal" foods with our "new normal" foods, and praying with all the belief we can muster that God is going to perform a miracle so we can go back to our "old normal."

I am a blessed woman. I have a husband who loves me and three beautiful children, who despite their incessant bickering, are really good kids. My oldest loves to read and play basketball. My youngest is a fireball who keeps us laughing and not taking life too seriously. And my son (who falls in the middle) loves God's creation and enjoys making his own creations, or as he calls them, "projects." I wonder when God created the world if He considered it a project? I guess we humans are a constant project being worked on, aren't we?!

Well, I think our "new normal" is a reflection of a project God is working on in the Norris household. I'm not sure exactly what the lesson of this project is, but I am hoping we all learn it, and learn it quickly. I don't want to have to round any more "tragedy" mountains in order to be able to say, "lesson learned!"

God, I'm trusting You to speak clearly to me. I'm working dilligently to be still and hear your voice. I know it's sad that I have to work on being still, but it's how you made me, so I'm learning that one constantly! My efforts to help Caleb are in vain if You aren't involved, leading the way. Let us all, especially Caleb, see Your mighty hand in all of this, knowing that "everything works together for good for those who love the Lord. "