My New Normal
Our family has had SO MUCH CHANGE in the past 5 years, it is hard to keep my head from spinning off. In the past 3 years alone, we have added 2 new son-in-laws and 5 new grandchildren to our clan. Change is in the air….I know that most people think of January as the time of life re-evaluation and yearly resolutions. Others think of springtime as the season of new life and new growth. But I always feel the strongest sense of new beginnings as we change seasons from summer to fall. School begins afresh, the evenings grow cooler and darker and the leaves begin to change. It may be because I absolutely loved school my entire life and looked forward to a new year of learning. It may be because during our Navy years, in all our change of duty stations, we packed up and moved in late August, to be ready for the new school year.
It is September once again, the signs of Fall are in the air and once again I have the opportunity to define “My New Normal”. What will this year bring? Sweet Ellie turns 3, in 2 months, and she and her little sister, Hanna, will both be BIG sisters in a matter of a few weeks when their new little sister makes her appearance into this world. 
So many new beginnings. So many changes. What changes will be required of me this year? What will be “my new normal”?
Yesterday I learned the difference between being an INSTRUMENT and an AGENT with regards to change. An instrument of change is ready to serve and willing to work hard to initiate change but usually is unaware of the greater power available to help manifest the desired change. An agent of change has a passion and a commitment to utilize every imaginable tool to be equipped for change and is willing to tap into an unstoppable source of power. Because of a deep sense of purpose, an agent of change presses forward in spite of difficulty and is tenacious in his or her pursuit of change. For me and my family, that source of unstoppable power comes from our faith in God.
This year my new beginnings involve establishing a “new normal” in my relationships with my family and my commitments in my community. I constantly struggle with balancing my time and my commitments. I want to be a peaceful person who is always available to be an agent for change- in myself and in relationships with others. I am often in situations where I am asked for wisdom in difficult interpersonal relationship situations and I want to give helpful advice and be an encouragement. Part of my challenge is to share truth in a loving manner without offending others. I make it a point to pray a lot when giving advice so that I have a pure heart with no selfish motives. One of the principles I use for myself and when giving advice to others is found in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 7.
“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
My “new normal” for this season will be to keep my own life in balance and be prepared with a pure heart to let my advice be a reflection of my faith. I will try to look at the things in my own life that need to be changed and focus on the power available to help me change. I will enjoy the blessings of family and the privilege that I have to influence those that God has placed in my life. I will be content.
What will be your new normal this Fall season?
