March 23: THE NEW NORMAL

I am now in my seventies. That means I have “passed through” several generations in my life. Every “passage” was different and ushered in a new time of change and adjustment in life. “Normal” changed several times as I matured. Like everyone else, during younger years I was so active and busy I hardly noticed the “new normals”. They are more clearly defined now. Arthritis in the knees says I can’t run five miles a day anymore. Heart problems say I can’t play full-court basketball anymore. Aging eyes say I can’t read fine print without glasses. See what I have just done? I focused on what I can’t do in the “new normal”.
I didn’t tell you that I play tennis three days each week or that I walk with Fay two miles per day. (weather permitting) For each of us there are “new blessings” in the now “new normal”. Let me use a Biblical comparison. Paul was in prison, ankles in chains! Sounds like a recipe for depression, right? Instead, he wrote Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV) “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” All Bible readers know that Paul did not allow the jail time keep him from his life task of telling people about Jesus. Count your blessings! In your “new normal”, what are the “new” challenges and doors to be opened? You can feel sorry for your self and mourn for “the good old days’ if you want. Or you can look for the good you have in these days.
Paul talks about the peace of God guarding your heart and mind. (Philippians 4:7) Seek His face. Face each “new” day as a “new” gift to be enjoyed in your “now”.

“God of my Present, I don’t need to be looking back over my
shoulder at what used to be. Sharpen my vision to see Your vision
for me. Amen”