oh my. what a week. the reason my last post is dated June 1 and this post is June 16...the reason 2+ weeks have gone by since my last post... is the fact that my time has been spent preparing for a wedding. my mind has been engaged in planning a massive celebration of love and commitment. my hands have been otherwise occupied with flowers and food and figuring out details for family and friends (15 here with us, 7 more off site). our son is now a married man, albeit a young one. and honestly, i couldn't be happier.
i am, quite frankly, impressed with the way in which my son, Solomon, and his wife (!!) Bethanne approached their courtship, engagement and marriage. they set boundaries up front in terms of time together, committing early on to a relationship that revolved around purity. i cannot begin to express my joy at their desire to save themselves for each other according to God's word and will for their lives.
now... today, friends have flown home. family members departed and have gone their separate ways. a new normal arrives. for each of us. my role is different starting now. each of us in our family has a new role to play. Brian and i are now in-laws (or, in-loves, as we like to say), Izzi has a sister for the first time!! Solomon has a wife and must learn to love her as Christ loves the church, his bride. Bethanne has a husband that she must support and submit to, and love the way Jesus loves her. all of these changes take place immediately, but they also happen over time. it's an interesting conundrum, the journey of life and love. the constant metamorphosis of our hearts is an intentional part of our growth. it's comforting, i think, to realize that 'new normal' is, well, normal.
i look to the seasons in nature, and watch as things change. i believe that God made us similarly. he intends for us to grow and change, adjust and shift, turn and flourish... until we die or HE returns, whichever comes first.
sometimes i get frustrated with myself for feeling like i need yet another new beginning. i've often found myself in places of failure and frustration, in need of forgiveness once again, which makes me feel like even more of a failure. yet scripture clearly reveals God's delight in showing us mercy, grace, peace and blessing. (Psalm 18:19, Psalm 35:27, Psalm 37:23, Exodus 34:6, Ephesians 2:4-5).
i know the enemy seeks to draw my attention away from God's grace in an effort to distort my view of HIS love for me.
if i take my eyes off of Jesus, i sink.
if i put my eyes on me, i sink.
if i allow my vision to be clouded, i sink.
if i give in to complacency, i sink.
if i stop growing, stop trying, quit moving, i sink.
new normal is good.
the God of Glory is always doing something new.
don't you see it?
{Isaiah 43:18-19}
what does it look like for you today?
4 comments:
oh my, i could cry! this was beautifully, so perfectly written. thank you! it's the encouragement and truth i needed to be reminded of in my/our new normal!!
oh this IS beautiful! and it's so true. Though are so many blessings and truths written through out this blog. I'm sooo happy that i stopped to read it today. I absolutely love this and I'm gonna share this message with everyone i know.
Wow! I can't believe that your son is now old enough to get married! I remember in 1996 when "Beauty For Ashes" came out.The now defunct magazine "Release" did an article or snapshot about your release and I believe it showed a picture of you and your kids. They looked so young back then! I simply can't believe how FAST time flies by!
Today is Father's Day. So I guess for a new beginning, with Christ's help, I plan on being a more Christ-like father, a more fun father, a more patient father,etc...I want the way I father to paint a beautiful picture of Jesus and of God.
Crystal, I read every piece you write and post here, regardless of the heading it's under, but I just had to leave a comment on this {one}. So beautifully written. With an event like this in the life of a Mom, this blog could have centered around the wedding and its details, but you shared with us--your readers--the bigger picture ... the spiritual significance of Solomon and Bethanne's decision leading up to this day and the shift it created in the everyone's life thereafter with the "new normal". I love how you highlighted the seasonal nature of things and wove it into your life, which allows us to bring that same thought into ours. My spirit needed this reminding this morning. New beginnings are not about failures, they are God's doors of unfailing grace and mercy and love. Thank you for seeing God's perspective in your new normal because in sharing it you're inspiring me to see God in mine ... and to embrace, not regret, our always changing New Normals.
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