What's Normal To You?

Today is actually the first day since leaving California that we woke up to a somewhat normal schedule.  Up to this point our days have been filled with appointments and activities that required us to get up early and scurry through our morning routine.  It was nice to be able to slow down a little and get my wife up in a relaxed mood!

On Sunday afternoon I sat back in a chair on our patio and sort of stared at the trees as I contemplated the  completion of the final chapter of the “getting-everything-here” mode of the move.  I had just received our car off the carrier and parked it in the parking space right in front of our building.  The vehicle had about an inch of dirt on it as a result of all the varied weather it had been through as it sat on the open back trailer while it came across the country, but it was here and I was very happy to get it back. 

We had rented a Toyota Camry that was very nice, but nothing as quiet and comfortable as our Buick Regal!  Most importantly was that it was difficult to assist my wife into the car.  I had to physically lift her up and over into the front seat.  On our car she can sit on the seat by herself and all I have to do is to swing her legs around!  I tell ya… my back is a happy camper!

As I relaxed on the patio, I reviewed all the steps that it took to get us and all our personal possessions to the East Coast.  A cousin of mine had written me a note saying something like how I made the difficult look easy as I dealt with all the logistics of our move.  That thought bounced around in my head with the arrival of our car on Sunday.  I must admit that I never considered the difficulty of it.  As far as I was concerned, we had been given a directive from the Lord and my job was to listen close and follow through on His guidance!

Yesterday as the attendant drove us back home after we returned the rental car, we got to talking about Piper.  After a while the gal mentioned what a hard task it must be to take care of her.  Once again, that statement kind of took me by surprise.  I replied to the driver that when you’ve been together as long as we have that it is simply an act of love, devotion and commitment to the love of my life!  You don’t think about it… you just do it!  But, as I realized this morning… you don’t do any of it alone!

Just like all the things that needed to be accomplished for the move, I did it all as I followed Christ!  I can look back at every step of the move and clearly see His hand along the way.  He orchestrated each measure of the move as a conductor guides an orchestra through a complex symphony.  Take for instance our flights from Sacramento California to the Raleigh-Durham Airport.  On each flight we were escorted to the front of the line and were the first to load onto the planes.  In Sacramento we choose the first seat and then had the blessing to sit next to a wonderful Christian Lady and shared of the things of the Lord throughout the flight.  As we neared Denver we became aware that our plane was behind schedule and that we would have less than ten minutes to get to our connecting flight.  Our new friend Debi checked the Southwest Airlines App on her phone and joyfully announced that our next flight had been delayed!

It turns out that the First Officer of the second flight was still in the air as inclement weather had also slowed his flight to Denver.  I personally think that the Lord did that on purpose… just for us!  That sort of thing has been happening over and over again in just about every phase of our move!  And you know what… I’ve been expecting it, and my expectations have (and still are) been fulfilled!

Romans 8:1 talks about the good things that happen without any condemnation “for those which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (KJV)   Well, that’s exactly where we have been this entire time.. following after, closely behind the Spirit of God as He has been directing our every step. 

So as I sat there staring at the towering pines off our new patio, I did not feel a sense of relief or even a letdown, for I am coming to realize that to a life that is intimately intertwined with His “adventurously expectant” (Romans 8:15 The Message) resurrection life, this is just another normal day!  And I like His normalcy!  How about you?  Have a great day!  Stay in tune to His Word and keep asking yourself… What or Whom are you expecting today?”