A New Normal

I was at a (wonder) prayer meeting and worship time last night, and the prayer leader brought up an idea that got my wheels turning. The idea was that of a "new normal."

He was speaking about the places in our lives where we get complacent, and seem to just "accept" that what is today is the way it will always be. He encouraged us all to pray for expectation. I was thinking about my recent posts about expecting more from God. Expecting Him to be bigger and to do and be more. You may have already made the leap from one place to another, but I realized that, for myself, I hadn't gotten as far as thinking about what expecting more of Him might translate into when it comes to how He shows up in the "real world."

So, I started thinking about the people I'd sort of given up on, in a way. And, for me, I'm not thinking of the addict child who a parent lovingly places boundaries on, or the frustrating friend with whom someone temporarily takes a contact-break for the sake of gaining clarity. Not that kind of "give up." I was thinking about the family members who are living their lives far from God...even those with whom I've talked about God and faith and more. But, after continued non-movement, have sort of gotten complacent in my prayer and hopeful expectations for them to come into a place of present, active relationship with God.

I thought about the "backpack" I wrote about last week... and the areas in my life, and in the lives of those I love that I've sort of taken on as "accepted" parts of life... some of which may not be acceptable at all.

And I started thinking about my workplace... where I already probably push the envelope on normal in some ways (wink)... but in which "normal" includes gossip, sniping, impatience and so much more. Perhaps in this context more than any other, I felt a swell in my heart about just how different a new normal could be from the one we all live in today.

I can imagine a corporate workplace where gossiping is as shocking and dismaying as those folks that sometimes show up out of compliance with the dress code. I can imagine a place where the very culture of the company supports a management team that sees their role as a role of service, rather than a more secular idea of leadership and direction-giving alone.

I will say that, even here, I know there are those who live in this version of normal within their own space, and within their own walls. But I believe that an uprising of prayer and a few simple choices to act intentionally as a role-model could change all kinds of things.

The contexts for this idea are limitless, and the possibilities are too.

And it's easy to dream big... but harder (at least for me) to believe big. So, I'm going to undertake a simple exercise, and I hope you'll join me. Consider a few contexts in your own life - work, home, family... you name it. Maybe even church! And imagine some ideals that you think Jesus would like to see become the "new normal." Let yourself just imagine big! Then, immersed in the idea of a new cultural norm in that place, imagine what it'd look like. Maybe come up with a few specific actions or scenarios. Then, pray. Pray pray pray, and start living out those scenarios. And enlist others in prayer if you are willing to take ownership of the boldness granted us in Christ (2 Timothy 1:7). And then expect a new normal... a big one!