We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance. Romans 5:3 NLT
He stood and talked to his brother, never
realizing that in a few moments, his life would change forever.
When I became his pastor, he was a vibrant man
and a diligent church worker. Some years before, his life had been changed when
he was diagnosed with a type of cancer most don’t survive. But he had.
Then it happened. Not the return of cancer, but
something more permanent. Neither he nor his brother knew what was happening
but that something was, was evident. A stroke slithered into his life. Although
he incurred no permanent paralysis, he did suffer life-changing brain damage. For
months, he couldn’t stay alone. His short-term memory, for all practical purposes,
disappeared. He blurted out things he wouldn’t have dreamed of saying before in
public. Time dragged along, but he learned he must adapt to his new normal.
Paul says what we don’t enjoy hearing: troubling
times produce perseverance, and perseverance ushers in new norms. God has sent me troubling times that tested my faith more than once. I haven’t
enjoyed any of them, but I have learned to find peace in the new norms.
When God sends faith-testing trials, He doesn’t
design them to destroy but to hone our faith. God rarely gives us the inside scoop
on why He’s testing our faith, but we can know it’s for a good reason. He may
need to stretch our faith or prepare us for a new assignment. Either way, when
we endure the stretch with the right attitude, we enter into the new normal
with the right spirit instead of a bitter spirit.
Rather than resist the new normal, God wants us
to adapt, learn, and enjoy the new place He has brought. Typically, the new
norm will give us opportunities we’ve never experienced. Using what God has
taught us during the stretching period allows us to make good use of the new
opportunities.
Rather than resisting your new norm, enjoy it and
use it for God’s glory.
Father, give me faith and courage to live in the
new normals you bring.
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