Normalcy

Consistency. Predictability. Reliability.

Oh, how we love normalcy.  Even as little children, we feel safe when we know what to expect.  As we age, we find ourselves making connections with others who agree with us.  Conflicts arise when "common sense" behaviors are perceived as being violated by individuals or groups.

When we view a painting and we see colors and imagery that makes sense to us, our language to describe the image (in this example: peaceful, serene) betrays our underlying prejudice to live with equilibrium.  Even our language bleeds our need: normal psychology vs. abnormal psychology.  Societies exist and function when groups of people can agree on what is and is not normal behavior.

So, when life takes a sudden turn and we find ourselves no longer living a "normal" life, we experience a disorientation.  Our perspective changes and we start to really see our society, our culture.  We join a new subgroup.  Depending on what turn has occurred, we develop a new vision.  Our lens to see has been altered.  Our lives are no longer normal.

And, so, we stand outside, looking in, observers of normalcy.  We are the handicapped, the disabled; often, we are the forgotten.

Hope

On a recent trip to Chicago, I went for an excursion in my wheelchair. As is my habit before crossing the street, I always look both ways - even if it is a one-way street. As I looked to my right, I saw a man sitting on the curb. His head bent downward, oblivious to the world around him.  Sadness. Loneliness. Hopeless. 

On the other hand, I have learned that a friend's health is failing. He is struggling to breath, to live.  He  prays. He loves and is loved.  Faith is a constant companion.  Peace. Comfort. Hopeful. 

It seems to me that we start every day with the same choice, over and over. Do we choose to live life alone or with God? Without hope or with hope?

As I consider my life, I am acutely aware of time moving in its unceasing direction. It is winding down. Faith is crucial.  Love is essential.  However, to choose to live each moment with joy and peace requires Hope. 

And Hope never fails. 

So, Lord, what hope do I have? You are my hope! (Psalms 39:7)

Finding My Way Home

The morning was one of those warm, muggy, wonderful days of late summer.  Even though the sky threatened to drench those who ventured outside, the promise of sun lurked behind the clouds.

With the hope of sun and the concrete presence of warmth, I ventured to the local park.  The idyllic setting of park, flowers, and lake were perfect.  The pleasure of the moment was upon me.

Every day, the physical constraints of my disease pressure me to give up.  Knowing that my struggle is not limited to mobility issues, I am determined to live with a positive attitude.  Of course this determination is easier to express in words than it is to express in deed.  At times, in the midst of the daily battle to maintain, to keep going, to fight on, I get lost.  I lose my sense of home.

But, God's beauty and nature's profusion of flora and fauna are concrete reminders that life is worth living to the fullest.  Whatever the day's challenges bring, God helps me to find my way home.

"To learn the secret of victorious living has been the heart's desire of those who love the Lord, in every generation."

Hanna Hurnard - 

Hinds' Feet on High Places