Maybe a hard and messy "normal" isn't so bad!

Sometimes life is just so hard.  Hard. Really hard. There, I said it.

Sometimes I just get tired of being sick. I know many can relate to that! It's simply not what I envisioned for myself and my family. For years I fought against it, resisting a new normal. I never liked that phrase - "new normal".  I suppose that's because I never wanted this type of journey through life to be my normal.  My old normal was just fine. 

I had a great soul baring conversation about this with a dear friend recently.

We talked about our normal. Our messy normal, our hard normal. We cried over  misplaced desires and broken dreams. What was awesome is we cried the big tears that leave you blotchy and puffy and we didn't try to hide from each other. Yep, soul baring indeed! A true gift to be able to be real and be understood. 

Then we did the only thing we could to remedy what was ailing us - we prayed. We were soon laughing together and sharing stories of God's goodness and grace in the midst of this journey we never wanted for ourselves. 

The conversation ended in a strengthened friendship and strengthened faith. 

So, a new normal doesn't have to be about compromised health and the hard in your life. It can be about the best of life - the hope you have, the love you give and receive, the grace you experience. The strengthened relationships and faith...and so much more goodness. 

For several days after that conversation, although my body was quite broken, my soul was recharged. My new normal wasn't so bad afterall. 

So, yes, life is hard. Daily challenges come, but God's grace always shows up.  

How has God revealed His grace and goodness in your new normal?