Embracing Our New Normal: Part 1

Psalm 30:5

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

In the moment between laundry, grocery shopping, supper prep, and helping with a craft, I need to take just a moment to put these thoughts down and start writing what has been a work in progress in my heart for some time now.

Nic is gone with three of our kids to soccer practice and near me I can hear the joyful laughter of three of our girls and two of their friends who have come over to play. It is so normal. All of it! It is refreshing and a balm to my often weary heart.

Embracing our new normal is something I didn't know if I would ever be able to do. Finding others who embraced us and our "normal" was another thing I didn't know if I would ever experience. This week, with all its "normal" challenges in our home has brought an abundance of blessings and encouragement in the area of embracing our normal and being embraced by others. From phone calls and emails, to a short and sweet coffee break, to voices of encouragement, joy, and understanding in our homeschool co-op, to the powerful Word of God encouraging and filling my heart, to the sweet and fun play date with young friends this afternoon, I feel as though God has refreshed my soul and my perspective and I have received from Him a delightful blessing in embracing our new normal. It has been a slow process and one that I reflect on often. Hopefully I'll be able to share more about this process and God's faithfulness in our lives in subsequent posts.