Let’s face it….
The NORMAL we once knew is gone forever. This is how I know.
I birthed a stillborn baby.
I had cancer.
I had a son who died of an overdose.
After each one of these traumatic events in my life, NORMAL was altered forever. And this is just how it is; No one escapes the long term affects of hardships and traumas. The experiences of Covid-19 will render the same. Normal: it’s gone forever.
I do not aim to be a Debbie-downer, but let’s face it… this is reality.
Grace was my fifth pregnancy, and I thought all things would be normal. As she lay lifeless in my arms after twelve hours of induced labor, my outlook upon life changed. Cognizant, I was face to face with the sovereignty of God: He is the opener and closer of wombs, He is the giver and taker of life, He does what He wants for His purposes. I did not take pregnancies or the creation of life for granted as I may have. And, God blessed me with five more children.
Stage 3A cancer blasted me from normal life into a year of hellish treatments and surgeries that teetered me on the edge of life and death. I survived, yet normal life as it was, is gone. There are scars: caustic treatments destroyed my digestive system and I now, must constantly watch what goes into my mouth so that I am not in pain or tied to the bathroom for hours. This is a new normal for me; Tedious and not pleasant, yet I am glad to be alive and often praise God for my breath – inhale/exhale, each day a gift.
Despite all my efforts, love, and prayers… my son died of a sudden, accidental, overdose. Caleb was plagued with common mental issues and he succumbed to addiction, detoxed, was clean, relapsed, then died; that is the short story. The two year anniversary date comes up in just twenty nine days and it will be emotionally hard, again – but honestly, everyday is still hard; family-normal is gone forever as well. Sudden loss, too soon, in our human thinking changes life and how I think. Some things just do not fit in our brains; we cannot comprehend what does not make sense to us. And yet, again, I am sustained and I am blessed each day I live, by a loving God.
Changed, I am: mentally, physically, and spiritually. I currently live what I call a new-normal life – even still, that is about to be altered, again.
The fall out from Covid-19, no matter how each of us is affected, is ushering in a new-normal, to be revealed very soon.
Yes, the old Normal: It is gone forever.
Grieve it.
It’s okay.
The logical news is this:
A NEW NORMAL will present itself, and by the mercy of God, we will meander into the unfolding with increased grace and compassion.
My advice?
Don’t fight it, it’s not a battle that can be won. I urge you to embrace it.
Some of the new-normal will be dictated upon us by governments and authorities over us, yet some things in the new-normal will be dictated by what we each have learned. That new-normal is up to us as individuals and as the collective community of America; Great opportunity is before us to create a better new-normal!
The question is: are we brave enough? Are we willing enough?
Stay tuned…
NORMAL (Part II): Paint on the Paintbrush
NORMAL (Part III): The Unchanging Changer
In the Battle 