We all know the saying - "If at first you don't...... fill in the blank here depending on your specific circumstances.." - often may lead to frustration - disappointment - depression - anxiety. I am fairly safe in stating that all of us can say - been there - done that. And so it was with our yearly arrival in Arizona where we go to escape the cold Midwest winters. Settled in after a quick flight - inspecting our accommodations - checking that everything was in good working condition - anticipating a peaceful frustration free time in the warm sunny desert. That lasted exactly four days - day five had other plans for us - in particular for me. Half way through a morning bike ride a weird sensation that told me time to visit a doctor - immediately. The result - eight hours in the emergency room doing various tests - being admitted - spending three nights in the hospital - going home with a stent in a coronary artery. Through-out the entire time and procedure - no pain - simply a weird feeling that something was not right. Back home - out riding again - weird feeling gone.
I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as - normal. Normal is a state that many spend way too much time trying to achieve. The perception of what is normal for one - often night and day to another. I think what we have is routine - customized by our personal preferences and life experiences. In simple words - my normal is not your normal - nor should it be. When God created the world and all that is in it - He looked around and was pleased at what He saw. He saw you and me. He saw that we were different variations of humankind. Creatures that can think - speak - reason - function in similar but different ways. For all of us - God speaks in various - different ways - though audible sounds - through sights - smells - touch. No one of us is identical - even in the case of identical twins - differences exist. Unless you live in the Sonoran desert you would never expect to see a multitude of beautiful flowers on a cactus which also grows long sharp needles. In many lives those flowers belong on plants with soft flowery stems surround by grasses - not sand and gravel. In my personal experience God was with me as much in that hospital as He was during that eventful bike ride - just as He is this afternoon as I sit writing this blog. For all of us - He is always at our side - leading us - calling us - to come closer to Him and His Son. When life feels weird to you - stop - pause - reflect - to many that is their normal.
Deacon Dale
